THE 'Cases' Somerset Rebels had been due to face second-placed Wolverhampton Wolves at the Oaktree Arena tonight, but unfortunately the weather has intervened.

A poor weather forecast for the rest of Friday has seen the match called off, with a new date to be announced.

Next week, the Rebels are scheduled to face Wolverhampton (away) on Monday, July 31 and Belle Vue (home) on Friday, August 4.

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SGB Premiership
Poole Pirates 44, Somerset Rebels 45
Match points: Poole 0, Somerset 3

THE ‘Cases’ Somerset Rebels secured their second away win of the season on Wednesday with a sensational one-point victory at Poole, writes Ian Belcher.

With the match ebbing and flowing, it eventually came down to a last-heat decider, and top scorer Richard Lawson and Josh Grajczonek snatched the three points for their team.

Poole took an early four-point lead after the opening three heats, but Somerset brought themselves back on equal terms when skipper Grajczonek and Lewis Kerr combined for a maximum 5-1 race advantage in heat four.

Heat five saw Somerset take the lead for the first time in the match courtesy of a 4-2 race advantage by Lawson and Cameron Heeps, and that two-point lead was maintained with the teams sharing the spoils in the next two races.

The Pirates restored parity with a 4-2 race win of their own, and the next two heats saw them open up a six-point lead going into the final third of the match.

But, to their credit, the Rebels refused to buckle, with Lawson taking his second win of the night and Lewis Kerr picking up the point for third place.

The turning point of the match came in heat 12, the first running of which saw Poole’s Jack Holder excluded for bringing down Somerset’s Jake Allen.

The Pirates fared no better in the re-run, as their lone representative Paul Starke was also excluded, for causing Charles Wright to fall, which gave Somerset a 5-0 race win and a one-point overall lead.

Cumbrian Lawson making it three wins on the bounce in heat 13, with Grajczonek taking third, and in the penultimate heat Patrick Hougaard (who had struggled up to this point on his return from a shoulder injury) came second to keep Somerset in the lead (albeit by just point).

The final heat began badly for the visitors, as Pirates Richie Worrall and Hans Anderson hit the front from the off, but Lawson rounded Andersen for second place and Grajczonek repeated the trick a lap later to split the points and hand Somerset a famous win.

Team manager Garry May said: "The boys were just superb tonight.

"Even when Poole opened up that lead mid-match, they didn’t let their heads drop and came back at Poole, and I think that we were more than deserving of our win.

“Heat 15 summed up the determination we showed throughout the night, as even though Poole gated on a potentially match-winning 5-1, Richard and Josh didn’t panic, as they both got around Andersen to give us victory.

“I would like to thank all the Somerset fans who made the trip down to Poole to support the lads.

"It was very much appreciated by myself, as well as the boys in the team.”

Result
Poole (44): Richie Worrall 12+2, Paul Starke 8+1, Hans Andersen 8, Edward Kennett 7, Jack Holder 4, James Shanes 3+1, Timo Lahti 2.
Somerset (45): Richard Lawson 13, Josh Grajczonek 10+1, Charles Wright 8+1, Jake Allen 6, Lewis Kerr 5+1, Patrick Hougaard 2, Cameron Heeps 1.