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, 26 August 2005
Oak Tree Arena, Somerset

Somerset 43
1Magnus Zetterstrom2334^2 ..140
2Jamie SmithR13Fx. ..40
3Ritchie Hawkins1*Fx... ..11
4Paul Fry23R6^0 ..110
5Glenn Cunningham2231*. ..81
6(g)Simon Walker100R. ..10
7Chris Mills0R2*11 0.41
Isle of Wight 51
1Craig Boyce32231 ..110
2Glen Phillips11*11*. ..42
3Krister Marsh0123. ..60
4Ulrich Ostergaard33Fx23 ..110
5Krzysztof Stojanowski322*0. ..71
6Jason Doyle2*1Fx32* ..82
7Steen Jensen3MR1*. ..41

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

Somerset again had Simon Walker at number 6 in place of Trevor Harding but otherwise were at full strength as were the Isle of Wight . Both teams came into this match on a high. Somerset because they had won the Premier League Four Team Championship last Saturday and the Isle of Wight after two home wins during the week against Rye House and Newcastle. In the Newcastle match they had rattled up no less than 71 points. Somerset’s joy didn’t last long, however, because they trailed from the opening heat and never came near winning. They weren’t helped by Ritchie Hawkins having to withdraw from the meeting after his second ride in heat 5 during which he fell and suffered concussion.

The Isle of Wight dominated from the start. Craig Boyce beat Magnus Zetterstrom in the opening heat and Glen Phillips picked up the third place point when Jaimie Smith retired. That 2-4 was followed by a 1-5 to the Islanders in the reserves race then a win for Ulrich Ostergaard in heat 3 for a share of the points. Another heat win went the visitors’ way in heat 4 won by Krzysztof Stojanowski from Glenn Cunningham and Jason Doyle for a 2-4 which took the score after the four opening heats to 8-16.

Paul Fry beat Craig Boyce in heat 5 but Ritchie Hawkins fell and withdrew from the meeting. The race was shared then Somerset pulled two points back with a 4-2 in heat 6 as Zetterstrom beat Stojanowski with Jaimie Smith third after Jason Doyle had fallen and been excluded. That was neutralised by a 2-4 to the Islanders from Ostergaard and Marsh split by Cunningham but Somerset scored a much needed 5-1 in heat 8 thanks to Jaimie Smith and Chris Mills from Glen Phillips. This took the score after 8 heats to 22-26.

The Somerset comeback was stopped dead in its tracks when the Islanders took heat 9 by 1-5 with Jason Doyle and Krzysztof Stojanowski beating Chris Mills after Paul Fry had retired from the race. This increased their lead to eight points. There were two fallers in heat 10 – Ulrich Ostergaard and Jaimie Smith so Magnus Zetterstrom’s win only gained one point for the Rebels. Glenn Cunningham won heat 11 but the heat was shared then the roof fell in on Somerset’s hopes when they had to field both reserves in heat 12 as a result of Ritchie Hawkins’ absence and lost a 1-5 to Marsh and Doyle. This took the score after 12 heats to 30-41 and things looked bleak for the Rebels.

Magnus Zetterstrom took a TR in heat 13 but Craig Boyce won the race leaving Zetterstrom and Cunningham to fill the minor places for a 5-3 to the home side. Now 9 points adrift the Rebels needed a big score from heat 14 with Paul Fry taking a TR. Fry won the heat but the Islanders filled the minor places for a 6-3 to the Rebels which wasn’t enough to give them a chance of taking anything from the match with the score at 41-47. Ulrich Ostergaard beat Magnus Zetterstrom in heat 15 with Craig Boyce third for a 2-4 which gave the visitors a handsome 8 point victory and an eight point haul from their three league matches during the week.

Match Report by Merlin