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Exeter Falcons v Isle of Wight Islanders
Premier League, 27 June 2005
County Ground, Exeter

Exeter 50
1Mark Lemon2333. ..110
2Pavel Ondrasik02*10. ..31
3Ray Morton3F330 ..90
4Antonin Svab2*22*31 ..102
5Seemond Stephens2*11*1. ..52
6Ben Barker000.. ..00
7Lee Smethills33321 ..120
Isle of Wight 45
1Craig Boyce336^23 ..170
2Glen Phillips110.. ..20
3Krister MarshR31*2. ..61
4Ulrich Ostergaard12*24^2* ..112
5Tomas Suchanek1000. ..10
6(g)Nick Simmons1*111*. ..42
7Steen Jensen202R0 ..40

* = BP. ^ = TR . ! = TS (15m Handicap). # = TR (Points Not Doubled). & = TS (Points Not Doubled, 15m Handicap).

Exeter were at full strength for this match against the Isle of Wight but the Islanders had former Falcon, Nick Simmons, at reserve in place of Jason Doyle. In the Premier Trophy match between these two sides at the County Ground last April the Falcons won by 14 points. It was a lot closer this time though.

The visitors took the lead in the first heat with a 2-4 from Craig Boyce and Glenn Phillips but, after a shared reserves race, Exeter took the lead with a 5-1 from Ray Morton and Toni Svab and this maximum marked the prelude to a match which swung one way then the other. Another 5-1 to the home side from Lee Smethills again and Seemond Stephens took Exeter to a six point lead at 15-9 after heat 4.

The Isle of Wight hit back with a 2-4 in heat 5, from Boyce and Phillips again, after Ray Morton had fallen to cut the lead to four points but Exeter hit back with a 5-1 from Mark Lemon and Pavel Ondrasik. Not to be outdone the Islanders scored their own 1-5 in heat 7 from Marsh and Ostergaard to cut the home side’s lead to 4 points but a 4-2 in heat 8 from Smethills and Ondrasik increased it to 6 points at 27-21.

Exeter finally put some daylight between themselves and their visitors with a 5-1 in heat 9 from Morton and Svab and Mark Lemon consolidated it by winning heat 10 for a 3-3. The inevitable TR was taken by Craig Boyce in heat 11 which he won for a 3-6 to cut the deficit to 7 points. Heat 12 was shared and heat 13 went to the Falcons by 4-2 to increase the home side’s lead to nine points – just what the Islanders needed for another throw of the TR dice - their last throw. It was Ulrich Ostergaard who took it but Toni Svab wrapped up the match by heading Ostergaard home for a 4-4. The Islanders took a last heat 1-5 from Boyce and Ostergaard to shave four points off the winning margin which may yet have a bearing on the destiny of the bonus point.

Match Report by Merlin