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Isle of Wight Islanders v Somerset Rebels
Premier League, 04 August 2005
Smallbrook Stadium, Isle of Wight

Isle of Wight 56
1(g)Edward Kennett2322. ..90
2Glen Phillips1*11R. ..31
3Krister Marsh2*2*320 ..92
4Ulrich Ostergaard332*32 ..131
5Krzysztof Stojanowski222*1*. ..72
6Jason Doyle31*1*31 ..92
7Steen Jensen2*M31*. ..62
Somerset 37
1Magnus Zetterstrom312^33 ..120
2Jamie Smith002R. ..20
3Ritchie Hawkins0013. ..40
4Paul Fry13321 ..100
5Glenn Cunningham34^10. ..80
6(g)Simon Walker1000. ..10
7Chris Mills0000. ..00

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

With Craig Boyce absent managing the Australian team in the World Cup qualifier in Poland the Isle of Wight were able to use a guest in his place. Edward Kennett stepped in to take his place at number 1. They also had Krzysztof Stojanowski at number 5 replacing Tomas Suchanek who has signed for Poole. Somerset had Simon Walker at reserve for Trevor Harding.

Zetterstrom won the opening heat to share the points but the Islanders took control with consecutive maximums in heats 2 and 3 before Cunningham won heat 4 for Somerset to take the score after four races to 16-8.

Another 5-1 for the home side in heat 5 from Ostergaard and Marsh again this time ahead of Magnus Zetterstrom had them on easy street with a 12 point lead. In heat 6 Glen Cunningham took a TR but was passed by Edward Kennett and the heat was shared 4-4. However, Paul Fry became the third visitor to win a heat in heat 7 but again it was only for a shared heat. In heat 8 the Isle of Wight increased their lead to 14 points with a 4-2 from Steen Jensen and Glen Phillips to take the score to 32-18.

Marsh and Ostergaard rattled up their third maximum as a partnership in heat 9 with Glen Cunningham trailing in third as the Islanders went 18 points ahead but there was some respite for Somerset when they won heat 10 when Paul Fry headed Edward Kennett home with Ritchie Hawkins picking up third place when Glen Phillips retired for a 2-4. Magnus Zetterstrom took the second TR for Somerset in heat 11 but, to the Rebels’ dismay, he finished third to Jason Doyle and Krzysztof Stojanowski for an Isle of Wight 5-2. In heat 12 Ritchie Hawkins became the fourth Rebels’ rider to win a race and, as with the others, the heat was shared. This took the heat 12 score to 47-28 as the interval arrived.

After the interval Magnus Zetterstrom won heat 13 but again Somerset gained no advantage as Kennett and Stojanowski took the minor places with Cunningham last. Heat 14 was a 4-2 to the Islanders when Ostergaard beat Fry with Doyle third then in the last heat Magnus Zetterstrom beat Ulrich Ostergaard with Paul Fry third for a 2-4 to Somerset so the Rebels have 19 points to pull back for the bonus point.

Match Report by Merlin