Bears leap into third with win over Rebels
Redcar Agilia Bears leapfrogged Somerset and moved into third in the league, after winning 46-38 in a match abandoned after 14 heats due to the curfew.
The win did come at a cost however, as skipper Charles Wright was forced to withdraw after a heat 13 crash. The initial diagnosis by the paramedics was concussion, but we will keep everyone informed about Charles injuries when we know more and wish him a very speedy recovery.
The Bears started the meeting well, a heat one 4-2 followed by a 5-1 in heat two with Nathan Greaves leading home Tom Woolley for his first paid win as a Bear. The rebels hit back with a 4-2 in heat three with Rory Schlein taking home the victory. Then followed a number of shared heats as the scores remained tight, before a heat 8 5-1 for the Bears gave them some breathing space.
The longer the meeting went on, the better the racing got. Heat 9 saw some superb racing, with the unfortunate Jordan Stewart somehow finishing last after a great battle with Harris and Schlein. Heat 10 saw more great racing involving Schelin, with the Aussie and Kasper Andersen trading places for four laps before the popular Dane prevailed.
Heat 13 saw Wright injured in a first bend incident, with Riss appearing to get a nudge from Nick Morris before falling and the unfortunate Wright had nowhere to go. Morris won the re-run with the Rebels getting a 4-2 to close the gap slightly, but with the Rebels only getting a 3-3 in heat 14 the Bears were guaranteed victory. As the curfew approached, heat 15 was attempted but in a similar incident to heat 13, Michael Palm Toft and Riss seemed to make contact forcing the German into the path of Morris who came off. The resulting delay meant the curfew was passed and the result called after 14 heats.
Riss and Palm Toft top scored for the Bears with 10 points, with Greaves scoring 7+3. Schlein top scored for the visitors with 9+1.
Redcar Bears = 46
1. Erik Riss – 3, 2, 3, 2 = 10
2. Kasper Andersen – 1, 1′, 3, 1 = 6+1
3. Michael Palm Toft – 2, 3, 3, 2 = 10
4. Jordan Stewart – 0, 0, 0, 2 = 2
5. Charles Wright – 2, 3, 3 = 8
6. Tom Woolley – 2′, 0, 1′ = 3+2
7. Nathan Greaves – 3, 1′, 2′, 0, 0, 1′ = 7+3
Somerset Rebels = 38
1. Nick Morris – 2, 2, 2, 3 = 9
2. Anders Rowe – 0, 1′, 1, 1′ = 3+2
3. Rory Schlein – 3, 2, 0, 1′, 3 = 9+1
4. Nico Covatti – 1, 1′, 2, 3 = 7+1
5. Chris Harris – 3, 3, 2, 1 = 9
6. Nathan Stoneman – 1, X, 0, 0 = 1
7. Luke Harris – 0, 0, 0 = 0