With an eight-point deficit to make up from last week's rain-affected first leg, the Rebels set about overcoming a tough Hull side, the bulk of which had lifted last year's title. The Rebels roared to a ten-point lead in what on paper would seem to be a one-sided match, but nothing could be further from the truth. In the opening heat, the Viking skipper Paul Thorp got an absolute flyer. He stormed away from his Rebels' counterpart, with his partner, Emiliano Sanchez, slotting into third place. Magnus Zetterstrom stalked Thorp feinting to the inside for three laps, before producing a storming run around the outside of the last turn to steal the race away. Smith also produced a similar move to nick third spot. The reserves' heat was shared after all four riders arrived at the first turn together, with Chris Mills emerging as the leader, before pulling out to win. Simon Walker produced a fine run that looked as though it would produce a third place, until he locked up on the last turn, as he was about to pounce. Heat three saw the return of Ritchie Hawkins to competitive action following injury, but it was Paul Fry and Emil Kramer who stole the show. Kramer powered away from the tapes to lead off the first turn, hotly pursued by Fry. The Hereford racer tried inside and out in his efforts to pass the flying Swede, and then produced an electrifying run around the boards, before squeezing through the narrowest of gaps on the back straight to lead on the final lap. Hawkins took the minor honours. Glenn Cunningham's opening heat did not produce the win he expected, as the Vikings' stalwart Gary Stead used Cunningham's own round-the-boards tactics to great effect. Storming from the gate, Stead parked himself on the outside line so favoured by Cunningham, leaving the Bristol flyer to probe at any line he could in an effort to pass. Running into the last bend, it looked as though Cunningham had worked an opening around the outside, only for Stead to slam the door shut, and take the win. The Rebels continued to pile up the points, as Paul Fry took an easy win in heat five for a 4-2 heat advantage. In heat six, Jamie Smith probably produced his finest ride of the season, even though he only finished in second place. As Magnus Zetterstrom made a flying start, and led off the first turn, Smith followed him through, only for the classy Gary Stead to run underneath him on the third turn. Smith held the wide line and shot back into second place on the home straight. With Stead on his inside, and the two of them battling for the wide line, Smith rode the whole race on the narrowest strip of shale between Stead and the boards. They were locked in a neck-and-neck battle for the whole four laps, swapping places until Smith finally prevailed at the line. The Vikings were now 10 points down and produced the expected tactical in heat seven, with Emil Kramer donning the black and white. It was a move that looked to have paid off as Kramer shot out of the gates and, like Stead earlier, used the wide outside to deny Cunningham the run he likes. For three laps, Cunningham chipped away at Kramer, and it eventually paid off as he showed that he's not just a one-liner, when he produced a huge cutback to run up Kramer's inside heading onto the back straight on lap three. Meanwhile Simon Walker was battling for third spot, which he eventually secured with a similar move on the last bend, and secured a 4-4 share of the points. The next heat was also shared, as Jamie Smith produced a flying start to take the win, but try as he might Chris Mills could not prise a point from the pairing of Sanchez and Giffard. With a 10-point match lead, and a slender two-point aggregate lead for the bonus, the Rebels kept up the pressure into the second half of the match. But with the Vikings showing the spirit that produced last year's trophies, it was never going to be easy, despite what the final scoreline suggests. Heat nine was shared when Gary Stead rode a tremendous opening bend to lead Paul Fry and Ritchie Hawkins. Fry cut up Stead's inside to snatch the lead at the fourth bend, only for Stead to return the compliment at the start of lap two. Stead held on to win, despite Fry's efforts to steal the lead back. In heat 10, Magnus Zetterstrom came up against his fellow Swede, Emil Kramer, who again produced a lightning start. This time Kramer couldn't turn it to his advantage, as the Rebels' skipper matched him and led off the first turn. Jamie Smith then got in on the act as he too got the better of Kramer at the last bend, only for the Viking to hit back at the next bend. End result: 4-2 to the Rebels. The Vikings had to resort to a tactical ride as they were now 12 points down, and it was the veteran Paul Thorp who was entrusted with the job. Cunningham gated from the inside berth, followed by Sanchez, with Thorp only third. Things appeared to get worse for Thorp when Simon Walker produced a fine run off the last bend to slip up his inside and draw level with Sanchez, only for the Argentinian-born rider to block his run. Sanchez eventually let Thorp into second, but then had to fend off Walker. The Badminton-based rider looked to have got a great run around the outside of the last turn only for Sanchez to shut him out again. Heat 12 saw Ritchie Hawkins score his comeback win after a fast start. Chris Mills joined him off the second bend, and the pair rode out the race for a 5-1 over Phillips and Giffard (in for Branney). This secured the match points for the Rebels, producing a 45-31 lead. Heat 13 produced a stunning race, with Stead and Cunningham again battling for all four laps. Stead produced another quick start and immediately ran for the outside dirt. With all four riders in close proximity, it was Cunningham who emerged as Stead's challenger. With Stead sat on his favourite line, Cunningham again showed his racing skills to probe away at different lines in his efforts to work an opening. As Stead resolutely defended the outside, Cunningham produced another sublime cutback off the final bend of the race, and stormed to the line to pinch the win by inches. That win, and Zetterstrom's third place, virtually assured the Rebels of the bonus point. Emil Kramer added a win to his fine night's work as he got the better of Paul Fry and Simon Walker to share the points in heat 14. This heat was also the last throw of the dice in the Vikings' efforts to rescue the bonus point, as they brought in a tactical substitute of the 15-metre handicap. The only surprise was that they didn't use Gary Stead, choosing instead to track Emiliano Sanchez, whose night had only produced two third places at this point. Sanchez couldn't add to that tally and was left trailing in last place. The final heat of the night produced another clash between the two Swedes, Zetterstrom and Kramer, as well as a return scrap for Cunningham and Stead. It was the two Scandinavians who produced the fireworks, with Zetterstrom taking an early lead, only for Kramer to cut inside him off the fourth turn. Not to be outdone, Zorro powered down the home straight to recapture the lead before the next turn. Glenn Cunningham got the better of Gary Stead to take third place, and produce a 4-2 advantage. The Somerset Rebels and Hull Vikings produced a fantastic match of the highest quality to bring down the curtain on the Rebels' home season, and the final score does not do justice to the battling Viking performance. The Rebels ran out 56-38 winners with a fine all-round team performance, which produced the sixth bonus point of the campaign, a club record in the Premier League. It would be difficult to single out any one person, but Simon Walker deserves a special mention for his performance. Left out of the Rebels' early season plans, he stepped into the team following injury to Trevor Harding, and has produced some gutsy performances. He mixed it with some of the best in the Vikings' side and was not found wanting in any department. His final tally of 2+1 does not reflect the quality of his racing in this meeting. Zorro's top score of 13 points earned him the most entertaining rider award from George Manchip and Aaron Laing, whilst Glenn Cunningham's all-action racing, and 12 points, saw him take the rider of the night award from Pam's People. | 
