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Mildenhall Fen Tigers v Somerset Rebels
Premier Trophy (Group), 23 April 2006
West Row Stadium, Mildenhall

Mildenhall 54
1Jason Lyons1*3323 ..121
2James Brundle22*22*. ..82
3Shaun TaceyFx00.. ..00
4Jason King3231. ..90
5Daniel King3321*2* ..112
6Jon Armstrong32*2*03 3.132
7Barry Burchatt001*.. ..11
Somerset 41
1Magnus Zetterstrom336^31 ..160
2Glen Phillips0131. ..50
3Stephan Katt2104^. ..70
4Paul Fry1*012. ..41
5Glenn Cunningham21100 ..40
6Simon Walker1*001*. ..22
7Ben Barker21*00. ..31

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

Mildenhall and Somerset tracked their usual sides for this return match for which Somerset held a 7 point lead in search of the bonus.

There was some doubt whether this match would go ahead due to a combination of rain and power failure which affected the red and green lights. Eventually the rain eased and they were prepared to run with the good old elastic and flags. However the power came back on so there was no need.

The opening four heats were all shared. Magnus Zetterstrom won the opening race from James Brundle and Jason Lyons then Jon Armstrong took the reserves’ race. In heat 3 Shaun Tacey locked up on the fourth bend causing Jason King to collide with him. Tacey was excluded as the race was rerun with Jason King heading home the Somerset pair of Stephan Katt and Paul Fry. Daniel King took heat 4 but not until he had made a fantastic ride round the boards on the last bend to pass Glenn Cunningham who had led from the start. This took the score after 4 heats to 12-12.

Somerset finally broke the deadlock in heat 5. Magnus Zetterstrom won again, this time from Jason King, while Glen Phillips finished ahead of Shaun Tacey for a 2-4 and a 2 point lead. The lead didn’t last long. In heat 6 Jason Lyons and James Brundle took a 5-1 with Glenn Cunningham just losing out for second place on the line. This put Mildenhall two points ahead. They added another 5-1 in heat 7 from Daniel King and Jon Armstrong who had a ding-dong battle with Stephan Katt for second place to surge 6 points ahead before Glen Phillips won heat 8 for Somerset. He received no support so the race was shared and the heat 8 score had moved to 27-21.

In heat 9 on-form reserve Jon Armstrong replaced Shaun Tacey for Mildenhall and he followed Jason King home for yet another Fen Tigers’ 5-1 which stretched the score 32-22. Somerset had fallen out of the match and they conceded another 5-1 in heat 10 when Jason Lyons and James Brundle repeated their success of heat 6 to stretch the home side’s lead further to 14 points. It was time for Somerset to wheel out the old black and white helmet cover and sure enough Magnus Zetterstrom appeared wearing it in heat 11. He continued on his untroubled way winning the heat from Daniel King. With Glen Phillips relegating Jon Armstrong to the back the Rebels took a 2-7 cutting the Fen Tigers’ lead to 9 points and putting themselves only two down on aggregate. In heat 12 it was Stephan Katt’s turn for a TR. Although he was beaten by Jon Armstrong making amends for his heat 11 blob Simon Walker took third from Shaun Tacey and the Rebels took a 3-5 which took the heat 12 score to 42-35 and squared the aggregate scores.

Magnus Zetterstrom won again in heat 13 but Glenn Cunningham finished behind Jason Lyons and Daniel King so the heat was shared. In heat 14 Mildenhall took an important 4-2. The match result was done and dusted but the matter of the bonus point was still in the balance. Jon Armstrong won again from Paul Fry with Jason King third to give the Fen Tigers a two point bonus point advantage going into the last heat. In heat 15, Jason Lyons and Daniel King finally lowered Magnus Zetterstrom’s colours relegating him to third place for a 5-1 and all three points went to the home side.

Match Report by Merlin