Highbridge-based Somerset Rebels achieved the first half of what could be an historic double for the club when they won speedway’s Premier League Cup at Ipswich on Thursday night.
The 14-point lead that they built up in last Friday’s first leg at the Oaktree Arena proved to be more than sufficient as the Rebels won on aggregate 95-90.
They lost on the night by just 9 points in Thursday’s second leg at Ipswich’s Foxhall Stadium but won the League Cup.
Crucially, the Rebels kept things tight in the first half of the second leg, so much so that they still held a 10-point aggregate lead after eight of the 15 heats.
Although Ipswich got to within two points of Somerset with consecutive maximum race wins in heats 9 and 10, a double point tactical race win for Rebels guest Craig Cook pushed Somerset’s lead back out to five points, with Kyle Newman then taking a stunning race win in heat 14 to confirm the Rebels as the 2012 Premier League Cup winners.
Somerset are now looking to add the Premier League Championship Trophy to the League Cup triumph against Scunthorpe this weekend. They won the first leg 49-44 and the second leg takes place at Scunthorpe on Sunday afternoon.
