Somerset Rebels pick up points against Redcar and Scunthorpe (From Bridgwater Mercury)

Somerset Rebels pick up points against Redcar and Scunthorpe

1:23pm Monday 17th October 2011 in Speedway

Somerset Rebels 50, Scunthorpe Scorpians 43

THE Rebels produced a 50-43 win over Scunthorpe on their penultimate meeting of the season at the Oaktree Arena on Friday.

After comfortable 5-1 wins in heat one, two and four, the Rebels stormed ahead to take a 21-9 lead.

Six of the next seven heats were tied 3-3 as the Rebels ensured the Scorpians did not eat into their eight -point gap.

The home fans' nerves were eased somewhat when Nelson and Holder combined for a fourth Somerset maximum heat win in heat 12, but that was soon negated when, out of nowhere, Scunthorpe posted a maximum heat win in the penultimate race of the night to leave the scores at 48-39.

Scunthorpe won the last heat 4-2 but it still rounded off a win for the Rebels by seven points as they now focus their attentions on the final league match of the season - a visit to the Oak Tree Arena by rivals Newport Wasps.

Redcar 48, Somerset Rebels 46

AN AMAZING fight-back by the Rebels' saw them a point from their match with Redcar.

With just five heats to go and Redcar holding a 12 point lead the odds looked stacked against the Rebels' but they responded and could have even won the meeting in the last heat.

On a slick track the Rebels struggled in the early heats but they managed to steady the ship somewhat after that by ensuring a share of the spoils in five of the opening eight heats, as they trailed 28-20, which soon became 33-21 after heat nine.

Tactical rides from Cory Gathercole in heat 10 and Kauko Nieminen in heat 11 brought the deficit down to 10 points and when Summers and Gathercole won heats 12 and 13 the gap was only six points.

A maximum 5-1 win in heat 14 gave the Rebels a sniff but a tied last heat ensured Redcar got the overall 48-46 win.