THE SOMERSET Rebels will take a narrow lead into the second-leg of their Premier League Knock-Out Cup semi-final, after a 49-41 victory over Edinburgh at the Oaktree Arena.

Somerset got off to the best possible of starts when Jason Doyle and Kyle Newman sped away from the tapes in heat one for a maximum heat win, Edinburgh's top man, Craig Cook, paying the price for a poor getaway from the tapes that virtually ended his race before it had started.

Edinburgh, however, immediately hit back, and for 3¾ laps it looked all over as if Derek Sneddon and their guest rider, Ben Morley, were heading for a 5-1 of their own.

Gradually, however, Nielsen closed back in on Morley and as the riders took to the final turn the Somerset number 6 made an outside sweep on his quarry to split the Monarchs duo and move into second place.

Nick Morris and Alex Davies then sped away for a comfortable 5-1 to give the Rebels a six-point lead, which remained the same after heat four.

Edinburgh replied with a maximum of their own, but their joy was short-lived as Doyle and Newman followed up their first race 'full-house' with another in heat six.

The Rebels continued to keep their noses in front and come heat 13, had opened up an eight-point lead.

But another Edinburgh maximum reduced the deficit to just four points.

However, in heat 15 Doyle and Grajczonek showed just why they are the current Premier League Pairs Champions, never giving Cook a sniff of an opportunity to get on terms, let alone mount any short of challenge, and to the rapturous cheers of the home fans it was the Somerset duo that took the race win.