Speedway Premier League

Scunthorpe Scorpions 46, Somerset Rebels 44

THE Somerset Rebels slipped to a two-point defeat in their opening play-off fixture in North Lincolnshire and a date with the Scunthorpe Scorpions with which to open their Premier League Play-Off campaign.

In a meet filled with contentious decisions and controversy, the Rebels were unlucky not to leave with the points as the clash went down to the final heat.

The first contentious issue of the night reared its head in heat six when Somerset's Nick Morris was excluded by referee Dave Dowling for a tapes infringement.

The next talking point of the match came in heat eight, when it appeared to many that Kurtz had done enough to hold on for third place, only for the referee to give Howe third ahead of a somewhat surprised Kurtz.

With the scores level at 24-all, it was to be Somerset who were to get the noses in front once again in the twice run heat nine.

Any hopes the Rebels' camp harboured of taking two points for an away draw with them from the match were quickly dashed in the final heat when Auty hit the front from the off - and although Wright got the better of Howe for second place on the opening turn, it was all to no avail as Auty took the race win.

Somerset team manager Garry May said afterwards: "The team rode their hearts out tonight, but it is frustrating when decision go against you which cost us at least the draw, if not an away win - and I feel for the boys who fought so hard for that win only to be denied by some of the decisions made tonight.

"But nothing can change that now and all we can do is to put that behind us and focus our attentions on Scunthorpe's visit to the Oaktree Arena on Wednesday night and turn our obvious disappointment from tonight's match into beating the Scorpions to get our home Play-Off matches off to a good start."