Premier League Play-Off Grand Final 2nd Leg

Edinburgh Monarchs 54, Somerset Rebels 41 (Monarchs win 96-95 on aggregate)

SOMERSET Rebels team manager Garry May admitted Saturday’s play-off final defeat was “hard to take”, as the Rebels suffered a 13-point second leg reverse to the Edinburgh Monarchs to go down by a single point on aggregate.

With the meeting going down to the final heat, the Monarchs recorded a 5-1 maximum heat victory to take the title, much to the disappointment of May and his team.

He said: “Many congratulations to Edinburgh on winning the title, they were the form side throughout the season.”

Somerset took a 12-point lead into the second leg courtesy of their previous night’s 54-42 first leg victory at the Oak Tree Arena.

That lead was immediately under threat to the extent that Edinburgh moved into the aggregate lead themselves by the conclusion of heat six, as the Monarchs hit home four maximum race wins over the course of the first six heats.