Bandits thrashed at Edinburgh.

Kirkland Carpets' Berwick Bandits recent record at Edinburgh's Armadale Stadium has been little short of shocking, and sadly Friday night's efforts went to form as they crashed to 33 point drubbing.

On a bitterly cold night Berwick's point-scoring did little to warm the hearts of the travelling support, although there were a precious few straws to grasp, as Joachim Kugelmann put in a late burst in Heat 2 to challenge 2nd placed Monarch, Pole, Robert Ksiezak.

After an unsatisfactory start to Heat 3, the re run saw Berwick skipper, Simon Cartwright take an early lead, but by the end of lap 2 he had been relegated to second by Rusty Harrison.

Berwick's only Heat win came in Heat 5 which he won from a fine gate, helped a little by Harrison making a poor gate and delaying his challenge.

Reasonable battle in Heat 7 between Michal Makovsky and Ksiezak saw them swap places a couple of times, with the Berwick Czech grabbing the win over the last lap.

Heat 9 was perhaps the battle of the night with the two Bandits taking advantage of Edinburgh duo, Harrison and Woodward drinking too much horlicks before the off, but Harrison passed Chris Schramm with ease followed up with a smashing duel with the other Bandit, Pole, Piotr Dym, who was passed, but only just, on the finish line.

Heat 11 saw Berwick's tactical ride nominee, Adrian Rymel who didn't make a good enough gate, and ended up stuck at the rear, kept at bay by teenager, William Lawson, whilst another tactical ride in Heat 12 could only generate 2 points for Cartwright, who could only manage a 3rd place.

"This was not a good meting for us," said promoter, Peter Waite afterwards, "but it is a place we have rarely done well at this millennium. Maybe one day our fate up here will change, but until then the lads know what they have to do, and that's get back on the winning trail against Glasgow on Saturday."

All in all another to forget for the Bandits, who need to march away from this meeting rapidly and get back onto the winning trail, which is hopefully tonight [Saturday] when Glasgow are the visitors to Shielfield Park, once again in the Premier Trophy. Gates open at 6pm, first race 7.00pm.