With Tom Brown already sidelined with a broken collarbone, the Somerset ‘Sharp’ Rebels were left reeling after eleventh hour injuries ruled out both Nick Simmons, and Brendan Johnson. The riders were taking part in the Isle Wight’s National league fixture at Smallbrook on Thursday evening, when they were both transported to hospital following separate incidents. Simmons was thought to have serious neck injuries, but was released from hospital on Friday when scans revealed heavy bruising. Johnson’s sustained head and other injuries in a high speed crash with James Birkinshaw, and was initially taken to St Mary’s Hospital, from where he was later airlifted to Southampton General Hospitals intensive care unit. The latest news is that he has swellings on his brain, and has been put into an induced coma to allow the injury to heal. The thoughts of everyone connected with Somerset Speedway are with Brendan and his family at this time.

With a limited number of Premier League riders available on the correct averages, and with six National League teams all riding on Friday night, options for guest were severely limited. It was down to Ben Hopwood and Andy Braithwaite to step into the breach, at a very late stage.

The Rebels looked to be in for a tough night as the visitors, the Rye House ‘Silver Ski’ Rockets arrived with a full side, after doubts about Linus Sundström, and Joe Haines participation proved groundless. Under the circumstance the match could not have started better for the home side as they registered a 5-1 maximum in Heat 1. Steve Johnston got the better of an early battle for the lead with Joe Haines, to lead onto the back straight. Behind him Simon Walker was harrying Haines, challenging up his inside on the final bend of the second and third laps. Haines was holding Walker until he dropped a chain on the back straight of the last lap to allow the Bristol rider through to take all the points.

The Rockets tracked a very strong reserve pairing in Tommy Allen, and Andrew Silver, and as you would expect they powered to a full house of their own against two inexperienced rivals. Ben Hopwood gave Andrew Silver a hard time for a couple of laps before the Rye House man shook him off to take second spot. Unfortunately the race signalled the end of Andy Braithwaite’s participation as he took a heavy fall on the final bend of the race, after being unsighted by the setting sun, which caused him to hit the safety fence hard. He was up quickly, but had suffered severe lacerations to his hand, and had to withdraw.

The next two heats were shared with Emil Kramer taking Heat 3 with a good run around the opening bends. Justin Sedgmen missed the gate, but set off after Luke Bowen with some gusto. As he tried to deliver a challenge on the opening bends on the second lap, he made a mistake that sent him careering out to the fence, and he did well to stay on board as he took the ‘Wall of Death’ route around the second turn.

Heat 4 saw Cory Gathercole and Linus Sundström provide the crowd with some early excitement as the pair raced wheel-to-wheel for almost the whole race. Sundström was first to show after a level break, but was soon joined by Gathercole at the front. Gathercole took the outside route and just got his nose in front, only to see the Rockets quick Swede retake the lead on the back straight next time round. Gathercole quickly put that to rights with a neat inside cut underneath on the third turn of the second lap. The pair battled to the end of the race with the Rebels favourite getting the better of the fight. Behind then, Ben Hopwood again gave Andrew Silver a hard time, but to no avail.

In the next two heats the sides swapped 5-1’s to keep the score even. First blood went to the Rebels as Justin Sedgmen made up for his earlier mistake by powering round the inside of the second bend to pass the two Rockets, and join his wide running partner at the front. Emil Kramer blunted the initial challenge of Rob Mear as the Rockets top man tried the outside line. Kramer is comfortable out in the dirt, and doesn’t let many take his right hand side in a battle for the line, and Mear found that out in spades. Once together at the front the Rebels took an easy looking 5-1. In a later interview Sedgmen revealed it might not have been that easy, as Kramer mistook him for Mears in the early stages, but as soon as the cool Swede realised it was his partner things got a little easier.

The Rockets pulled of a shock result in Heat 6 to level the match again. Linus Sundström and Tommy Allen bolted from the gates to lead before the first bend. Steve Johnston was soon on their tails, and tried every line possible, but try as he might he could not find a way through as the Rockets team rode for a maximum advantage.

It seemed that no one could break the deadlock as the depleted Rebels bravely held off the Rockets, sharing the next three heats. Cory Gathercole took Heat 7, but for a long time it looked like he would be second best. Leading from the start Gathercole looked to have the race sorted, but he was relegated to second spot by Chris Neath’s powerful outside run around the outside of the last two bends of the lap. Neath was belying his recent Oak Tree Arena form, which to be truthful has been dire. He continued to lead for the next three laps, and despite Gathercole’s close attentions he appeared to have the race sewn up. Then approaching the second bend on the last lap he made an error, getting a lift, and forcing him wide. It wasn’t a big error, but it was enough for Gathercole, who pounced and shot through on the inside. Once the Aussie was at the head of affairs there was no way back for Neath as the Rebels shared the points.

Since returning to the Number 2 spot in the second week of July Simon Walker has remained unbeaten in Heat 8, and tonight was no different. Making a great start from gate three he got the better of Joe Haines at the first turn, and then powered away around the wide line to take a clear win. Ben Hopwood also got a great start, and came round the white line to pass both Rockets, and grab second place as he ran onto the back straight. In the end he was relegated to last place, but it took Haines and Andrew Silver nearly two laps before they got the better of the young Mancunian.

The Sundström-Allen pairing again broke up the Rebels scoring in Heat 9, but this time they couldn’t stop the Rebels taking a heat win with Emil Kramer. Sundstrom was quick to clamp Sedgmen to the kerb in the opening turns, allowing Allen to come through for third. Sedgmen was soon after Allen, and was all over him for four laps, exploring every inch of the Highbridge circuit to find a way passed. At times it looked as if he had succeeded, but Allen stuck to his guns, and held off the charging young Milduran.

The Rebels finally broke the deadlock in Heat 10, with skipper Steve Johnston, and his partner Simon Walker taking the maximum points to open up a lead. The race was re-started after some movement at the tapes, but when they did get cleanly away it was Walker and Johnston who made the break. Steve Johnston took up the running on the back straight, as the Rebels pulled clear for a bloodless victory. Chris Neath took third spot.

After the race Simon Walker pulled up on the back straight. Initially it was thought he had an engine problem, but it turned out he had aggravated an old wrist injury, and was in a fair amount of pain. He withdrew from the meeting, putting his participation in the return leg in doubt.

Once again the Rebels lead was short lived, as Rye House levelled the match in the very next heat. It was the second attempt that gave the Rocket the points, as the first running was stopped following a fall by Cory Gathercole. In the original start a level break saw the Rockets pair of Allen and Mear just getting the better of the opening exchanges, with Gathercole close up. He was soon challenging Mear for second place, and as he tried an outside pass on the first bend of lap two he went down, hitting the fence hard, and getting a dig in the ribs with the handle bars of his machine. The force of the contact was such that it snapped the bars clean in two. Gathercole was excluded from the re-run, leaving the Rockets to take an easy full house over Ben Hopwood.

The next few heats would be crucial to the outcome of the match, and it was the Rockets who took a big step towards at least an away point, with an advantage in Heat 12. Justin Sedgmen and Tommy Allen broke together, and it was almost a lap before Allen got the advantage from the tight battle. Anyone who thought the result was now set in stone was sadly mistaken as Sedgmen and Allen thrilled the crowd with a stunning display of tight side-by-side racing, passing and re-passing each other, inside and out, too many times to count. Luke Bowen, who was a relative spectator, took third from Ben Hopwood.

If Heat 12 was stunning, Heat 13 was out of this world. Robert Mear and Steve Johnston broke together, and were soon joined by Cory Gathercole. What ensued was a feast of passing over the next two laps, which at times was so frenetic; it was difficult to keep up with as the three riders battled for supremacy. Steve Johnston eventually got the better of Mears just as Gathercole, who had been working the white line, challenged up the inside of the Rockets man. It was a hard move, but it paid dividends as the Rebels recorded a maximum advantage at a very important stage of the match, giving them a vital 2-point lead going into the final two heats.

Heat 14 illustrated just how important that lead was, as the Rockets once more levelled the scores with a 2-4 heat win. Emil Kramer broke level with Tommy Allen, and looked to have the race at his mercy as he took to the dirt. However Allen was having a superb night, and was in no mood to give it up as he moved Kramer wide and then ruthlessly shut out the Swede on the second bend. It was a hard, but fair move, and it handed the Norfolk born rider the box seat. Kramer was never very far away, and spent most of the race camped on Allen’s back wheel. Every challenge Kramer threw in was met with a firm repost as Allen blocked every move to hang on for the victory. Chris Neath took third to bring the scores level with just the nominated heat to run.

Emil Kramer was back out to accompany Steve Johnston to the line, as the Rockets tracked Linus Sundström, and strangely left Tommy Allen on the sidelines in favour of Chris Neath. In the end it was a decision that possibly cost them the match, as Neath failed to meet the two minutes, when his machine expired on the line. Neath started off 15 meters, and after a fruitless chase retired on the final lap. At the front end of the race the Rebels took the early advantage, more of less sealing the match in their favour in the process. A level break saw Steve Johnston and Emil Kramer swamped Linus Sundström before they reached the first turn. Johno took up the running and pulled ahead of Kramer. The pair dominated until the third lap, where Sundström closed down Kramer and swept around his outside on the last bend of the lap. By then it was too late for Sundström to do anything about Johnston, who was gone beyond recall giving the Rebels the advantage they needed to remain unbeaten at home this season.