Premier League Play-Offs

Somerset Rebels 54 Ipswich Witches 36

ONE of the best crowds of the season turned up at the Oak Tree Arena to witness the battle for a place in the final of the Premier League Play-Offs, and for both teams the equation was a simple one.

The Rebels needed to win by seven points or more to reach their third successive play-off final – anything less and the Witches would face Edinburgh Monarchs in the final.

The Rebels faced the challenge still operating rider replacement for the injured Brady Kurtz, while the Witches were at full strength.

However, for both sides this was not to remain the situation for long as first Gino Manzares for the Witches and then Pontus Aspgren for the Rebels were to withdraw after separate spectacular crashes.

In the opening heat visiting pair Rohan Tungate and Cameron Heeps got the drop, but when Olly Allen went down in a tight first turn the Rebels got a second chance.

In the re-run the Rebels grabbed their reprieve with both hands as Allen flew from the tapes to lead up and Charles Wright accounted for the visitors round the opening turns.

The Witches again took the early advantage in heat two with former Rebel Ritchie Hawkins hitting the front from the gate only to see Todd Kurtz overhaul him before the turn.

Heat seven was notable for a couple of incidents from the Rebels’ point of view.

Paul Starke arrived at the start only for his bike to stop and refuse to restart. He returned to the pits before he could return with his bike up and running, before the two minutes ran out.

There was a lot of movement at the start, and as the tapes rose Morten Risager hit the front only for Dave Robinson to call the race back for an unsatisfactory start.

In the re-run, Nick Morris jumped and hit the tapes, and started the second restart from the 15m mark.

With the Rebels now exerting control on the match, any chances the Witches had of progressing were fast disappearing, and they only had one more opportunity to rescue their future participation in the play-offs in the form of Morten Risager in heat 12, but the Witches’ chances suffered a mortal blow when Risager was slow away.

The nominated heat featured Allen and Morris for the home side, and Adam Ellis and Richie Worrall for the Witches.

Morris took third from Ellis in the early stages of the second lap, but could never get close to displacing Worrall from second, and likewise Worrall never got in a blow on the rapid Allen, giving the Rebels a 4-2 advantage in the final race.

Having been put under severe scrutiny in the early stages, and having to cope with going behind by heat six, the Rebels produced a typical fighting performance in the second half of the match to come through 54-36.

The Witches played a full part in a hard fought battle.

The Rebels face a tough task against the Monarchs if they are to become Premier League Champions in successive seasons.