‘Cases’ Somerset Rebels’ team manager Garry May was quick to hail the praises on the visiting King’s Lynn Stars side after the Oak Tree Arena visitors held his team to a draw on Monday night.
After Niels-Kristian Iversen had completed a 15 point maximum at the Highbridge venue, matching his previous two team appearances which were back in 2003, May heralded “they were strong opponents and had good strength in depth about them. Niels was absolutely terrific all night, so I was just pleased that in the final heat Jason and Jack were able to keep out Lambert to ensure we got something out of this match.
“Yes, it is two points dropped in one sense as we wanted the win but the point just keeps ticking things over for us and we can still claim to be unbeaten at home this season. Overall we have done better over the two fixtures against Lynn that we have ridden, having won at their place, but I think this result just goes to show how tough these Premiership matches are.”
The Stars kept the Rebels on a keen watch after the home side had gained the early advantage which had seen the Rebels recent acquisition, Nico Covatti register an impressive heat four win over British Champion, Robert Lambert, a crucial ride for the Italian-registered Argentinian as he was the sole Rebel in the race after Jack Holder had been disqualified for causing the first running to be stopped having fallen.
But the visitors squared the meeting through Iversen and former Rebel Lewis Kerr in the fifth heat, before Doyle and Wilson-Dean inched the home side ahead marginally with a 4-2 in the sixth, which preceded a shared-heat treble.
That same Somerset pairing then increased the advantage with a 5-1 in their next showing together but despairingly, that allowed the Stars to bring in Lambert to partner the unbeaten Iversen in heat 11.
It proved dividends as they fired in a 5-1 at the expense of Holder and Allen, beginning a recovery that was to see Proctor and Michael Palm-Toft follow suit in the twelfth and the Stars’ top men notching a 4-2 from heat 13 as Doyle packed up and Holder could only split them.
Trailing by four points Lawson and Covatti registered a valuable maximum score with, Covatti particularly impressive again, as he locked horns with Dane Thomas Jorgensen and the final race of the night came round with the scores at 42 a-piece.
Iversen completed his maximum, having to work hard to block out the world champion as they made even starts whilst Holder saw off the British champion at the first turn to maintain the score parity,
SOMERSET 45: Nico Covatti 9+1, Richard Lawson 9, Jason Doyle 8+2, Bradley Wilson-Dean 7+1, Jack Holder 7+1, Jake Allen 4, Claus Vissing 1+1.
KING’S LYNN 45: Niels-Kristian Iversen 15, Robert Lambert 10+1, Michael Palm Toft 8+2, Ty Proctor 7, Thomas Jorgensen 3+1, Lewis Kerr 2+1, Max Clegg 0.
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