SPEEDWAY - Somerset Rebels 61 - Berwick Bandits 35 - AFTER the stunning performance of last week s Knockout Cup aggregate victory at Glasgow, the Somerset Sharp Rebels entertained another team from the far north of the country.

Somerset Rebels 61

Berwick Bandits 35

AFTER the stunning performance of last week's Knockout Cup aggregate victory at Glasgow, the Somerset Sharp Rebels entertained another team from the far north of the country.

Unfortunately for the Berwick F1 Finance Scotland Bandits, their visit to the Oak Tree Arena has coincided with the Rebels running into some decent form, and a team that is clearly starting to gel.

The Bandits have not had much joy on their visits to the Highbridge circuit, and this visit did not change that. In fact it has to rank as their worst ever performance on the Somerset shale, probably due in no small part to meeting a team riding the crest of a great wave of confidence.

The Bandits got an early flavour of what was to come, as Emil Kramer and Simon Walker made the best of a level break to lead off the first bend. After Walker had beaten off the inside challenge from William Lawson the Rebels rode their way to an easy victory, with Kramer claiming the win.

Tero Aarnio's drop to reserve, in the recent round of new averages, has given the Bandits a powerful weapon and it paid dividends in the second heat as he led alongside Bandits new boy Greg Blair.

Tom Brown is in a great vein of form at the moment, he was in no mood to play second fiddle and was soon on terms with the Bandits duo, slipping up the inside of Blair.

Aarnio was a different proposition and despite Brown closing him down he could not find a way past the young Finn. For his part Blair showed his potential, by producing a great ride to hold off a rampaging Jay Herne to give the visitors what was to prove a rare heat advantage.

Over the next few heats the Rebels demonstrated their superiority with three 5-1s from four races. The first of these showed a welcome return to form for Justin Sedgmen.

After being called back for movement at the start, the race got under way at the second time of asking, with Paul Clews bolting out of the gate. The Rebels pair did not give him the chance to establish a lead as they swamped him. Once they got to the front they team rode the Bandits out of the race.

Jay Herne produced a supreme piece of anticipation in Heat 4, shooting from the gate and joined by Steve Johnston.

The Bandits appeared to have stemmed the flow in Heat 5 as their pairing of Michal Makovsky and William Lawson rocketed out of the gate to set up a 5-1 advantage. If they thought that they had done enough to cut the Rebels lead, they reckoned without Cory Gathercole who swept past both riders to take a comfortable win. Sedgmen chased Lawson, but could not find a way into the points.

The respite only lasted until the next heat as the Rebels powered in another 5-1, when Emil Kramer and Simon Walker forged home to an easy maximum. The next heat was shared, as Tome Brown made a poor start, and Steve Johnston won with ease from Josef Franc, who had passed Clews on the outside of the third turn.

David Peet needed to change the Bandits fortune, and he sent out Tero Aarnio in Heat 8, wearing the Black and White in a quest for double points. Aarnio did his job to lead all the way, holding off the strong challenge of Simon Walker to take a six-point win.

The Rebels put the meeting beyond doubt and by Heat 11 had secured the win. At Heat 13 they ran in three more maximum advantages, and added two 4-2s as well.

The first 5-1 came as Justin Sedgmen put his previous last place behind him, and got back on the winning trail with Cory Gathercole in second. Emil Kramer maintained his unbeaten record on the night, as he came from behind Josef Franc to win with Simon Walker in second.

Steve Johnston and Tom Brown have been involved in a few 5-1s of late, and they added another in Heat 11. Justin Sedgmen added his third win from four rides in Heat 12 when he led from the front, with Clews in second place.

The Rebels were back on the 5-1 trail in Heat 13, as Emil Kramer allowed Steve Johnston to power to the lead. Heat 14 saw David Peet sent out Josef Franc on a tactical ride. Tom Brown made a super gate to lead, but Cory Gathercole ground to a halt just yards over the line. Franc eventually won with Brown in second and Aarnio in third for a 7-2 advantage to the Bandits.

The Rebels finished the meeting, as they had started, with an unchallenged 5-1 advantage, their eighth of the night, in the nominated heat, Steve Johnston and Emil Kramer taking the honours.

Stoke Potters 49

Somerset Rebels 40

SPEEDWAY can often be a game of ifs, buts, maybes and what might have been, and the Rebels visit to Loomer Road, to take on the Stoke Easy Rider Potters, certainly fell in to the latter category.

Already operating rider replacement to cover the absence of Justin Sedgmen, on World Under-21 team duty, they were reduced to just five riders when Jay Herne was forced to withdraw, following a crash.

The Rebels kept it close early on, but could not stop the Potters taking first blood. Emil Kramer made a great gate in Heat 1, and held off the early challenge of Jason Bunyan who led Kramer home for a 4-2 advantage to the Potters.

In the second heat, the Rebels reserve pair led around the first bend on a 5-1. Behind them Mark Burrows fell on his own and was surprisingly included in the re-run, as referee Margaret Vardy put all four back.

In the re-run, Jesper Kristiansen shot from the tapes to lead the Rebels pair. Tom Brown took his chance to pass both Potters on the inside, as Jay Herne also passed Burrows for third. Brown went on to win, but Herne lost third spot.

Cory Gathercole got the better of a level break in Heat 3. His lead was short lived as he was passed by Lee Complin to win and take a second 4-2 for the home side.

In Heat 4, Steve Johnston and Phil Morris gated level, and as they fought out the opening turns, Mark Burrows drove hard under Herne, who took a hefty fall, but for a second time Margaret Vardy took no action against Burrows, and allowed him back in the re-run.

At the second time of asking the Rebels pair made the best gate, and led from Phil Morris. Steve Johnston took the lead as Jay Herne held off Morris, but Morris sent Herne crashing to the ground was excluded from the race, and probably lucky that it was only the race as the Rebels were awarded a 5-0 victory.

Herne withdrew from the meeting with slight concussion, and all his rides, as well as all but one of the remaining rider replacement rides were taken by Tom Brown, however this would have meant that Brown would have run out of rides, so the Rebels were left with no option but to contest two races with only one rider.

The Rebels best option now was to keep the scores as close as possible, and maximise the chances that came along. Over the next four heats that is what they did, giving the Potters just one 4-2 heat advantage.

Lee Complin took Heat 5 after contesting the run to the first bend with Emil Kramer. Kramer also lost second place as Kristiansen cut underneath him, but he claimed back his second spot. Simon Walker was hampered when he lost his steel shoe on Lap 4.

The next three heats were shared, with the Rebels taking two heat wins. Steve Johnston beat off an early challenge from Mark Burrows. A level break in Heat 7 saw Cory Gathercole lead off the first bend, but then have to beat off a challenge from Jesper Kristiansen. Phil Morris took up the lead and Tom Brown briefly challenged, but could not find a way into third spot.

Klaus Jakobsen, taking the rider replacement ride took Heat 8 with Brown in second. With Brown short on rides, the Rebels chose the next two heats to track just one rider in each, with Steve Johnston and Cory Gathercole being the sole riders.

The out Potters took advantages in both, but despite this the Rebels were still within striking distance on completion of both races. In Heat 9 Steve Johnston made a good gate, but had no answer to Klaus Jakobsen.

Cory Gathercole took second place in Heat 10 after being beaten to the front by Jason Bunyan.

Heat 11 was shared, as Emil Kramer led from the start for an easy win with Simon Walker in third.The Rebels hope of taking something from the match were dealt a severe blow in Heat 12, as the Potters slammed in a maximum advantage.

The Rebels reduced the deficit to seven points in Heat 13 as they took a 4-2. Steve Johnston and Emil Kramer flew from the traps to lead before the first turn, but were held off by Bunyan.

Heat 14, Cory Gathercole and Tom Brown bolted from the start to lead at the first turn, but Brown crashed out and was excluded from the re-run. Lee Complin was close behind, and did really well to quickly lay down the bike,and avoid major contact.

When the race re-started Gathercole made the break, with Jesper Kristiansen close up. Kristiansen left Gathercole in his wake and he was passed by Lee Complin.

The Rebels were now nine points adrift, but a 5-1 in the final heat would see them take a well earned point from the match. It was down to Emil Kramer and Steve Johnston to take the track for the nominated heat, with Klaus Jakobsen and Jason Bunyan being posted for the Potters.

As the tapes rose Johnston and Kramer jetted off the line to lead, but Jason Bunyan came scything through between the pair off the second bend. Once in front Bunyan powered away to a lead he was not to lose.