Team Websites for News and More Detailed Match Reports:
Somerset Rebels Website (Official)

Live Updates for a Current or Recent match: Live Speedway Updates
Discussion on Matches and Other Speedway Issues: Speedway Forum

Somerset Rebels v Isle of Wight Islanders
Premier League, 09 June 2006
Oak Tree Arena, Somerset

Somerset 54
1Magnus Zetterstrom33332 ..140
2Glen PhillipsR3121 ..70
3Stephan KattR212*1* ..62
5Glenn Cunningham33321 1*.131
6Simon Walker302*32 ..101
7Ben Barker2*11*R. ..42
Isle of Wight 42
1Chris Holder236^23 ..160
2Jason DoyleT16^1R ..80
3Krister Marsh210R. ..30
4Krzysztof Stojanowski1*023. ..61
5Jason Bunyan2220. ..60
6Chris Johnson1*1M00 ..21
7Nick Simmons0R10. ..10

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

The Somerset "Mike Manning Audio" Rebels took to the track safe in the knowledge that they had steamrollered their opponents, both home and away, earlier in the season. However any thoughts of a repeat must have been pushed firmly to the back of their minds, as the Isle of Wight "Wightlink" Islanders are now a totally different proposition to the version that contested those early Premier Trophy matches. The backbone of their team had been strengthened by the return of Island favourite Jason Bunyan, in place of the surprisingly weak Robert Kasprzak, Krister Marsh had recovered from the early season injury he had been carrying, and Aussie Under 21 Champion, Chris Holder is producing the kind of form that justifies the rave reviews he had been getting before his arrival on these shores. The home side came into the match without Paul Fry, after he had broken his left leg in last weeks clash with Kings Lynn, and operated Rider Replacement for the popular Hereford racer, with the promising Jordan Frampton at No 8.

In the opening four heats both sides suffered mechanical problems, with the Rebels coming off worse with two retirements to the visitors one. But for that the 6-point advantage they enjoyed, 15-9, could have been nearly double that after Glenn Phillips, and Stephan Katt had given up points scoring positions to the mechanical gremlins, and in Katt's case, that was a winning position.

The meeting opened with the now customary sight of skipper Magnus Zetterstrom winning the opener, this time from the Aussie "wunderkind", Chris Holder, and reserve Chris Johnson, with Phillips retiring. The race had started badly for the visitors, as second string Jason Doyle had taken an almighty flyer, and carried the tapes with him.

The home reserves are starting to make Heat 2 their own, and tonight was no different, as they stormed to a 5-1 advantage straight from the gates, with the victory going to Simon Walker. Phillips had a chance to make amends for his earlier woes as he took the rider replacement ride in Heat 3, and how he made it pay. Stephan Katt made a great start to lead from Krister Marsh, with Phillips in close attendance, only for the German to suffer a similar fate to his partners earlier one at the start of lap two. This left Phillips to pick up the pieces, which he did to great effect, as he stormed under Marsh at the end of the second lap to rescue the heat.

Nick Simmons was the next to fall foul of the dreaded gremlins, as he retired from Heat 4, leaving the home side with a 4-2 advantage after Glenn Cunningham outgated Jason Bunyan to take the heat. Overall the next three heats went the way of the Rebels, with two heat advantages to the visitors one. Chris Holder took the re-started Heat 5, but it may have been a different story had Simon Walker not anticipated the original start, with Stephan Katt easily leading the talented young Australian. Walker could not see the magnets because of the glare from the sun, and by his own admission "guessed" the start.

Confusion reigned in Heat 6, after Chris Johnson had been excluded under the "2 minute" rule. It was announced that he would run under the 15 meter handicap, then as the remaining three riders milled around waiting for him to appear the Islanders decided to go with only one rider, and then with only seconds to spare on the next 2 minutes, Nick Simmons appeared on the line, only to be sent back as the referee had already been informed that the visitors would only track one at the tapes. After all that the Rebels took the heat 4-2.

The Rebels took Heat 7 by the maximum margin after a wonderful ride by Simon Walker to take second spot. Glenn Cunningham made a fast start from the inside gate with Walker, and Krister Marsh close behind. Walker and Marsh slugged it out side by side for the opening lap, until Walker just eked out enough of a gap to clamp the experienced Marsh down to the inside of bend three, only for Marsh to sneak back up his inside on the home straight. Walker still had some in reserve, and was determined to prevail as he swooped wide around bend three on the next lap to finish off the Hereford born rider.

Now 10-points down, the Islanders threw in Jason Doyle on a tactical ride, and switched the reserves sending out Johnson for Simmons. Doyle took Heat 8, after a quick start, and was followed out of the gates by Johnson. A 1-8 advantage looked on the cards, but Johnson could not hold his position, as first Phillips, and then Barker reeled him into limit the damage.

The Rebels quickly struck back with two 4-2 advantages, with Glenn Cunningham making the most of his rider replacement slot in Heat 10 leading off the first turn after a fairly level break. Jason Bunyan took second followed by Stephan Katt. In Heat 11, three riders, Zorro, Phillips, and Stojanowski broke together, and went three abreast around the opening lap, before Zorro edged out in front on the wide outside of bend four. The other two battled side by side for another half a lap, before the Islanders skipper stole ahead to take the second spot, but Phillips never gave up, harrying him all the way.

11-points now separated the two teams, and the visitors again looked to the "Black and White" to pull back the deficit. This time it was Holder who was entrusted with the colours, but like his countryman, Doyle, before him he was only partially successful. Ironically it was Doyle who could not come up with second spot, despite having led from the start. Letting his partner go for the win, he could not hold off a rampant Cunningham, who drove around the outside of final turn of the opening lap to account for him. Ben Barker retired at the rear of the field. That 2-7 advantage brought the gap down to 6-points at 39-33.

The home side hit back immediately with another maximum advantage as Simon Walker, and Stephan Katt made it pay from the gate. Behind them Krister Marsh suffered a retirement, leaving Simmons as the only threat, something which he was not. Heat 13 produced another 4-2, with Zorro blasting away from the gates to account for Holder. Glenn Cunningham got the better of Jason Bunyan to fill the minor spot, but not before they had almost had a coming together on the last bend of the opening lap. Cunningham was just delivering his challenge, when Bunyan got very out of shape, and was almost collected by the home rider. Both did extremely well to avoid a major accident.

Stephan Katt took the final rider replacement rider, but had to be content with a share of the points as Krysztof Stojanowski finally came good after a poor evening, as he accounted for Walker in second, followed by Katt.

The meeting ended almost as it had started, with Jason Doyle being excluded, this time for exceeding the 2 minutes, but the result was not the same as Chris Holder got the better of Magnus Zetterstrom. He produced a fine pass around the outside of bend four on the opening lap, something not many rider do to Zetterstrom once he is in front at the Oak Tree Arena. Doyle went off 15 meters, and proved no match for Glenn Cunningham from that mark, eventually retiring.

In the end the Somerset "Mike Manning Audio" Rebels ran out winners 54-42, a much bigger margin than many expected in this "Mike Manning Audio" sponsored tie. It was a great all round performance by the depleted Rebels, which put them back on top of the Premier League, and featured good scores from Zorro, Glenn Cunningham, and Simon Walker. Walkers performance, was superb, and very deservedly won him the "Rider of the Night" award, sponsored by Mrs Edna Alison.

Match Report by Dave Thompson