SGB Premiership

Somerset Rebels 48, Rye House Rockets 42

THE Somerset 'Cases' Rebels returned to winning ways in spite of Lady Luck doing her utmost to conspire against them, twice thwarting stylish Richard Lawson when in big point scoring places before the Rebels were able to run out 48-42 winners over Rye House on Friday, writes Ian Belcher.

The Rockets had the perfect launch as Cornishmen Chris Harris and Ben Barker gave Rebels skipper Josh Grajczonek too much to do in heat one, and it was no lack of effort from guest Adam Ellis that prevented the home side from levelling as Lewis Kerr picked up a splendid win and Ellis just fell short of overcoming a resilient Robson in heat two.

An error by Ricky Wells opened things up on the back straight of heat three, his partner Kasprzak taking up the running as Starke appeared to try and evade any possible carnage.

Wells recovered, however, to fire in a second 5-1 for the visitors.

Further brilliance from Kerr with Lawson quick to join enabled Somerset to recover four of the deficit.

Charles Wright was on song in heat five, getting by Harris and making the move stick, while Grajczonek was unstoppable in heat six but the Rebels still trailed by two points.

Kasprzak won a re-started heat seven after Wells had been disqualified for bringing down Lawson, but then the Rebels delivered a huge 5-1 gain courtesy of Wright and Kerr despite the pair of them chasing the same favoured line.

Nicholls found that prize line in heat nione which made two-on-the-trot Wright's task that much more difficult but, with Starke plugging third place, the Rebels maintained their slender lead.

Grajczonek and Lawson became the first riders to lower Kasprzak's colours this week as they partnered for a 5-1 in heat 10, and just as Lawson had seemed set to split the Cornish duo in heat 11 he shed a chain on the Brent Knoll turn of the final lap which caused damage to his clutch mechanism and handed the visitors a gift of a 5-1.

Somerset stretched their lead to four again after Robson was disqualified and Wright worked his magic to stave off Wells.

The Rebels looked ready to put the meeting beyond the Rockets reach as Grajczonek and Lawson were set to repeat their heat 10 efforts, but again Lawson packed up and Rye remained just four points shy.

Kerr was superb in heat 14, out-gating and denying Kasprzak another win, while Starke's third place assured Somerset of the win on the night.

Play-off chasing Rockets still had scent of a league point, which they gained when Kasprzak overcame Wright in the nominated heat.

Team manager Garry May said: "We wanted that win tonight especially so after our disappointing results of late.

“They made it tough for us early on but I honestly felt we deserved to win that by more - poor Richard had no luck tonight.

“Had he not suffered mechanically then we would have won by a much greater margin.”

Scores:

Somerset - 48: C. Wright 13 (0,3,3,2,3,2), L. Kerr 12+1 (3,3,0,2',1,3), J. Grajczonek 9+1 (1,3,2',3), R. Lawson 8+2 (2',2,3,R,0,1'), A. Ellis 3+1 (0,1,1',1), P. Starke 3+1 (1,0,1',1), R. Replacement 0)

Rye House - 42: K. Kasprzak 12 (3,3,1,2,3), C. Harris 9+1 (3,2,2',2,0), S. Nicholls 7+1 (1,2,3,1'), B. Barker 6+2 (2',1',0,3), S. Robson 4+1 (2,1',1,0,FD), R. Wells 4+1 (2'), B. Morley 0 (0,0,0)

SGB Premiership

Leicester Lions 57, Somerset Rebels 33

FRESH from their resounding first away victory of the season at Belle Vue, the Leicester Lions quickly got their claws into the Somerset Rebels despite the visitor's opening with a 4-2 after Erik Riss had been left at the start.

Leicester's reserves levelled after Somerset guest Adam Ellis had been penalised with a 15-metre handicap for a tapes infringement, a deficit he worked hard to try and retrieve.

Leicester gained advantages from the next five heats with three maximum scores and a brace of 4-2s that effectively put the match beyond Somerset's grasp.

It was a close run to the line in heat 6 but it left the Rebels still 14 points behind.

Somerset couldn't find a way back despite Charles Wright's excellent efforts in heat 10 that had all four riders trading places before Wright opened his account with a superb win.

Adam Ellis weighed in with a fine victory when drafted in to replace disqualified Teri Aarnio, Somerset's third guest, in heat 11.

But that was the end of the success for Somerset on a night that left Garry May a bit despondent.

Speaking afterwards, he said: "I had hoped we might have made it a bit closer but they were well on their game tonight and made things hard for us.

“The lads found it tough but we need to put that behind us and move on."

The Rebels move on to Swindon on Bank Holiday Monday for the next Premiership fixture. 

Scores:

Leicester - 57: K. Nilsson 16 (2,3,3,2,3,3), L. Bjerre 11 (3,1,3,3,1,0), J. Bates 9 (1,3,2,3), D. King 8+2 (3,1,2',1',1), E. Riss 8+3 (R,2',2',3,1'), K. Newman 5+1 (3,2',0,0)

Somerset - 33: M. Palm-Toft 8 (1,1,1,1,2,2), C. Wright 8+1 (0,0,3,2,2,1'), A. Ellis 6+1 (0,0,2,0,3,1'), J. Grajczonek 5 (3,2,0,0), L. Kerr 4 (2,R,2,0,0), T. Aarnio 2+1 (1,0,1')