SGB Premiership
Somerset Rebels 37, Swindon Robins 53
League Points: Somerset 0, Swindon 4

THE ‘Cases’ Somerset Rebels fell to their heaviest home defeat of the season as top-of-the-table Swindon left the Oaktree Arena with a 16-point victory, writes Ian Belcher.

The match followed the previous evening's meeting at Swindon's Abbey Stadium being postponed due to the weather, and it brought Somerset's first defeat since July.

Swindon took the lead right from the opening heat, and were never seriously threatened by the Rebels, who were left to play ‘second fiddle’ for the majority of the match.

With the visitors much sharper out of the gate, it saw Somerset provide just five of the 15 race winners, Swindon being assured of the meeting win with two heats to spare, with their skipper and ex-Rebel Jason Doyle recording a paid maximum.

Somerset’s only real high point of the match was a 5-1 race win by Josh Grajczonek and Lewis Kerr in heat 10, which brought the Rebels back to within two points of the Robins.

But the Rebels' moment of joy was to be a short-lived one, as Swindon responded with three maximum heat wins over the course of the final five heats to run out comfortable winners on the night.

Somerset's Patrick Hougaard reflected: “We knew that this was going to be a tough match, and Swindon showed just why they are top of the table.

"Although we tried our best, you have to be honest and say that Swindon were the better side on the night and fully deserved their win."

Scores
Somerset (37): Lewis Kerr 9+2, Charles Wright 9+1, Patrick Hougaard 7+1, Josh Grajczonek 6, Richard Lawson 4, Todd Kurtz [guest] 2, Cameron Heeps r/r.
Swindon (53): David Bellego 12, Tobiasz Musielak 11+2, Jason Doyle 11+1, Adam Ellis 11, Nick Morris 5+1, Bradley Wilson-Dean 2+2, James Sarjeant [guest] 1+1.