A much depleted Linlithgow were given a comprehensive lesson in gating by a rampant Buxton side. The Hitmen were first out of the gate heat after heat. This must be one of the biggest away wins in the history of the conference league.
Linlithgow were missing captain Jon Swales due to work commitments. Steven Jones was unavailable and was replaced by Jitendra Duffil. Rider replacement was used for David McAllan with Gary Flint in at number 8. Steven McAllister did ride despite suffering an injury.
The weather was uncertain with some light rain falling. Later on the sun came out and the track dried and became very dusty and the water bowser had to be brought out and the track regraded.

Heat 1: Neil Painter, Robert McNeill, Jitendra Duffil [55.3]
Lee Smethills wheelied at the start and was excluded. Neil Painter won the re-run easily. (3-3) (3-3)
Heat 2: James Mann, Richard Moss, Ryan Milburn, Robert Grant [54.2]
Mann and Moss gated to win by a big margin. (1-5) (4-8)
Heat 3: Aiden Collins, Scott Courtney, Paul Burnett, Jitendra Duffil [55.9]
Jitendra Duffil came in as rider replacement for McAllan. Collins and Burnett gated. Courtney passed Burnett and Duffil fell and restarted. (2-4) (6-12)
Heat 4: James Mann, Adam Allott, Robert Grant, Steven McAllister [55.5]
James Denholm came in for Robert Grant who was obviously experiencing mechanical problems and promptly taped again. Since he was replacing Grant no substitution was possible. Steven Jones continued his excellent form with a win over Paul Taylor. (1-5) (7-17)
Heat 5: Lee Smethills, Scott Courtney, Neil Painter, Ryan Milburn [55.3]
Ryan Milburn came in as rider replacement. The visitors gated once more. Scott Courtney passed Richard Moss. (2-4) (9-19)
Heat 6: Adam Allott, Richard Moss, Robert McNeill [56.9]
Robert McNeill gated and a Lightening heat advantage seemed on the cards as Duffil passed Moss for third. Jutu fell and then McNeill stopped on the last lap while leading and pushed home for a point. (1-5) (10-24)
Heat 7: Aiden Collins, Paul Burnett, Steven McAllister, Robert Grant [56.6]
Another maximum for the visitors, from the gate as ever! (1-5) (11-29)
Heat 8: James Mann, Robert McNeill, Robert Grant [55.0]
Lee Smethills fell on the second bend when second and was excluded. Mann won the rerun after being pushed hard by Grant for a couple of laps. Grant fell and restarted to take third. (3-3) (14-34)
Heat 9: Robert Grant, Adam Allott, Richard Moss [56.2]
Steven McAllister came in as rider replacement. Scott Courtney was excluded for tape touching after a 'rolling start'. Robert Grant came in. The second attempt was called back after McAllister tangled with Richard Moss just after the start. The heat looked like a home maximum as Grant and McAllister gated. It was not to be. McAllister stopped when second. (3-3) (17-37)
Heat 10: Aiden Collins, Paul Burnett, Ryan Milburn [57.1]
The strain of continually being outgated was obviously telling on Linlithgow with another tape exclusion this time for McNeill. Ryan Milburn came in a followed Collins and Burnett. Duffil fell once more. (1-5) (18-42)
Heat 11: Neil Painter, Lee Smethills, Ryan Milburn, Robert Grant [58.2]
This time it was McAllister who taped and was replaced by Robert Grant. Painter and Smethills clocked up another 5-1 ahead of Milburn and Grant who was third until he fell and restarted. (1-5) (19-47)
Heat 12: Paul Burnett, Richard Moss, Scott Courtney, Robert Grant [56.3]
Scott Courtney came in as rider replacement but could do nothing to stem the tide with another maximum for Buxton. (1-5) (20-52)
Heat 13: Adam Allott, Neil Painter, Steven McAllister, Gary Flint [55.6]
Linlithgow gave number 8 Gary Flint a run as a tactical substitute replacing the accident prone Duffil. He was even slower out of the gate than the rest of the Lightening team. Allott and Painter racked up another maximum. (1-5) (21-57)
Heat 14: Aiden Collins, James Mann, Scott Courtney, Ryan Milburn [55.7]
Aiden Collins and James Mann, both on full maximums, predictably remained unbeaten. Collins received the 'bumps' prior to the last heat. (1-5) (22-62)
Heat 15: Aiden Collins, James Mann, Scott Courtney, Robert Grant [55.1]
Mann and Collins both duly competed paid maximums in the final heat. (1-5) (23-67)

Linlithgow Lightning
Jitendra Duffil 1* 0 F F = 1+1
Robert McNeill 2 1 2 T = 5
David McAllan Rider replacement (1)
Scott Courtney 2 2 T 1 1 1 = 7
Steven McAllister 0 1 R T 1 = 2
Ryan Milburn 1 0 0 1 1 0 = 3
Robert Grant 0 1 1* 3 F 0 0 = 5+1
Gary Flint 0 = 0

Buxton Hitmen
Neil Painter 3 1 3 2* = 9+1
Lee Smethills X 3 X 2* = 5+1
Paul Burnett 1 2* 2 3 = 8+2
Aiden Collins 3 3 3 3 2* = 14+1
Aiden Allott 2* 3 2 3 = 10+1
Richard Moss 2* 2* 1* 2* = 7+4
James Mann 3 3 3 2* 3 = 14+1

The depleted Linlithgow side missed Jon Swales and Steven Jones. The rider replacement facility for the injured David McAllan produced 1 point! Jitendra Duffil was a bit of a disaster at number 1 despite his recent Premier League experience. It took him the best part of last year to learn how to get around Armadale so the tight Linlithgow track is obviously a problem. Steven McAllister had a torrid time with an engine failure and a tape exclusion. Only Scott Courtney and Robert Grant provided any real resistance although McNeill and Milburn never gave up. Courtney was very disappointing in his gating but did show some ability in passing.

Aiden Collins and James Mann were far and away the best riders on show and neither ever looked like being beaten. Lee Smethills had a couple of exclusions but looked impressive in his other two rides. Great support was provided by the rest of the team who all scored solidly.
Man of the match: Aiden Collins and James Mann.
Next Linlithgow fixture: Saturday 10th July, Buxton, Conference League (Oh no!)
John Lowe
Edinburgh Monarchs Official Website
http://www.callnetuk.com/home/monarchs/