The Silver Ski Rockets erased memories of their 66-27 League mauling at the Oak Tree Arena in May as they held the title-chasing Rebels to 15 points around their own circuit, to give themselves a fighting chance of aggregate victory and a place in the Cup Final when the sides met again at Hoddesdon on Bank Holiday Monday.

They did so after battling back from a dreadful start and despite the loss of Stefan Ekberg following a frightening tumble in Heat 11. Despite a mixed night (by his high standards), Tai Woffinden topped the Rockets’ score-chart with 11 and received strong support from Tommy Allen and Luke Bowen, with Robert Mear adding in a heat win for good measure.  

It initially looked as though the Rockets could be in for a repeat of May’s battering, as the first four races produced consecutive Rebels 5-1s and then two further 4-2s. It certainly didn’t help that Tai Woffinden’s bike failed at the start line of Heat 3, although Tommy Allen was able to get past Matthias Kroger to ensure second place, while Chris Neath led the next race for nearly a lap before Jordan Frampton cut inside him to claim the victory.

After forcing a drawn result in Heat 5, things appeared to be heading from bad to worse as Heat 6 brought a two minute exclusion for Neath and set up a third home maximum, to take the score to 26-10. The match was to turn over the next two races, however. Allen and the Tactically nominated Woffinden finally gave the Rockets something to cheer about by producing a 7-1 in Heat 7, while Jordan Frampton’s engine seized while leading Heat 8, allowing Robert Mear and Luke Bowen the 5-1 that brought Rye back to 28-22.

That was as close as the Rockets got, as Somerset promptly took their advantage back to 10 points in the next race, although it took 4-2s in Heats 13 and 15 to really add to that lead. Rye achieved 3-3s in three of the other four remaining races, the exception being a Heat 11 that started with two falls for Robert Mear and finished with a 3-2 result after Stefan Ekberg had been involved in an alarming tangle with Jordan Frampton which sent the Swede flying into the safety fence and out of the match.

Rye House scorers:
Stefan Ekberg   2+1 (3 rides)
Robert Mear   5 (4)
Tai Woffinden   11 (5 rides, inc 4 as a TR)
Tommy Allen   8+1 (5)
Chris Neath   5 (4)
Danny Halsey   0 (4)
Luke Bowen   7+2 (7)

Somerset scorers:
Jason Doyle    13+2 (5 rides, maximum)
Simon Walker   R/R
Emil Kramer   12 (5)
Matthias Kroger   9+1 (5)
Jordan Frampton  5 (5)
Stefan Katt   8+1 (6)
Brent Werner   6 (4)
Andy Braithwaite (No 8) DNR