Aggregate: Somerset Rebels 102-80 Stoke PottersThe Rebels took the home side to a last-heat decider before losing by just two points on the night. Denied the services of both Stephan Katt and Glen Phillips who were competing in Germany in the World Long Tack Championships, they were further rocked by the news that Loomer Rod specialist, Glenn Cunningham, was not able to ride due to illness. With Glasgow's Lee Dicken already in the lineup as replacement for Phillips, Somerset team manager, Mick Bell, secured the services of Newport's Tony Atkin at the 11th hour to ride in place of Katt, the team then operating the rider replacement rule cover for the absent Cunningham. On what looked a poorly prepared track, the opening heat had to be re-run with Stoke's Trent Leverington coming to grief on the first bend, this with Zetterstrom already establishing a commanding lead over Paul Thorp. In the re-run, with Leverington excluded, the inevitable happened as Thorp got the better of Zorro this time around to take the race win, but at least the Rebels had a share of the points. Similar fate befell Somerset in the second heat as Stoke's Shane Waldron fell causing the race to be stopped, this time with Somerset's Simon Walker holding the advantage at the front of the field. Again, in the re-run it was Stoke's sole representative, Barrie Evans, who took to the front to record the heat victory. After six heats, Somerset had managed to successfully keep things tight, and the Potters only held a two-point advantage, but this was suddenly increased to six as ex-Rebel Mark Lemon partnered by Evans scored a maximum 5-1 heat win. The lead was further increased by two points in heat 10, as Thorp exacted revenge for his heat six defeat by Emil Kramer and Leverington picked up the point for third place. It was now that the Rebel fightback began, Zetterstrom easily accounted for Lemon in heat 11, and with Ben Barker riding a great race to hold off Evans for third place, Somerset were not getting back in the hunt. There then came a race that will live long in the memories of the large contingent of Somerset fans that made the trip up to Stoke as their two reserves, Ben Barker and Simon Walker, rode what can only be described as a race of great maturity beyond their years to shut out the vastly more experienced Paul Clews to take a 5-1 maximum heat win and bring the Rebels back to within two points of the home side. Two further drawn heats followed which left the match delicately poised with just those two points separating the two teams with the final heat remaining. As the tapes rose, things looked bleak for the Rebels as Thorp and Lemon headed Zetterstrom and Kramer round the first turn. Riding side by side the Stoke duo must have thought that they had Zetterstrom locked up back in third place, but they underestimated Somerset's Super Swede as Zorro sliced through between the Stoke pair to take the lead and race on to his fifth heat victory of the evening from his six rides. Unfortunately though Emil Kramer could not replicate Zetterstrom's exploits in getting past the Stoke pairing, and so it was that Stoke just held out to win on the night against a very gallant Somerset performance. Rebel fans and team alike still left the Potteries with a smile on their face - by winning the aggregate bonus point on offer, it confirmed the Rebels' best-ever Premier League finish of fifth place and a place in the end-of-season Championship Playoffs to look forward to. | 
