THE ‘Cases’ Somerset Rebels will be looking to bounce back to winning ways when they face the Leicester Lions at the Oaktree Arena on Friday night, writes Ian Belcher.

Leicester, like Somerset, have found the going tough so far this season and currently occupy the bottom rung of the SGB Premiership league table ladder, with Somerset just one place above them.

The two sides met recently on June 10 in the East Midlands, a meeting which saw Leicester make the most of home advantage as they came out on top by a 48-42 scoreline.

Previewing the match, Rebels team manager Garry May said: “We need the win on Friday, not just to get the team back to winning ways after last Friday’s home defeat but to also help us put some extra daylight between ourselves and Leicester in the league table.

“In addition to winning, as we came away from their place a week or so ago with a league point to our name, if we can stop the Lions from doing the same to us come Friday night, then so much the better!”

Leicester have already visited the Oaktree Arena this season, that being in the Knock-Out Cup, with Somerset winning on that occasion by eight points, 49-41, so a repeat of that performance would be the minimum requirement for the Rebels.

On that previous visit, the Lions relied heavily on the scoring potential of Swede Kim Nilsson and the 2016 British Champion Danny King, the duo posing the main threat again to Somerset ambitions of recording their fourth home win of the season.

The Rebels will, however, be missing both Michael Palm Toft and Lewis Kerr as the pair are required to ride for Scunthorpe at Edinburgh, their parent clubs, in the SGB Championship on the same night.

That meeting also has an impact on the visitors, as it claims the services of Leicester’s Erik Riss.

As a result of the absentees, Somerset will bring in two, as yet unconfirmed, guest replacements for their absent duo.

After the main meeting there will be a four-rider-a-side, six-heat Southern Development League match between the Exeter ‘Chris Richards’ Falcons and Weymouth Wildcats, so there is a veritable feast of speedway action for supporters to enjoy throughout Friday evening.
Somerset’s must-win clash begins at 7.30pm.