Somerset Rebels enjoyed a comfortable 63-32 win over Leicester Lions in the Premier League at the Oaktree Arena on Friday evening but, despite the one-sided scoreline, the fans enjoyed an exciting night of racing.
Leicester found themselves on the back foot even before a wheel was turned with Lasse Bjerre deciding to give the meeting a miss before Kauko Nieminen took a hefty tumble in the first re-run of the opening race and withdrew from the meeting.
Although the Lions tried their hardest, they had no answer to a rampant Rebels septet as Jason Doyle, Josh Grajczonek and Nick Morris all ended the night unbeaten by an opposition rider. Morris' move to the number three position certainly looking to pay dividends.
Even on the occasions when the visitors seemed to gain the initial advantage out of the gate, it was a short-lived moment of hope.
Heat three was a classic example when Morris and Alex Davies were found wanting as the riders got away from the start, but soon worked themselves to the front with stunning first turn passes on Kevin Doolan and Jan Graversen.
Heat two saw an incident from which Stefan Nielsen and Robert Branford were lucky to escape unscathed, Nielsen in chasing down his Lions' namesake Simon, locking up badly as he exited the pits bend, leaving Branford nowhere to go but to run into Somerset rider, but both riders somehow stayed on their machines.
With Morris having his best meeting since joining the Rebels, his night was complete when Doyle, who had been at his imperious best, had ample time to slow down on the final lap of heat 15 to allow his young team-mate through to take the chequered flag and secure his first Somerset maximum.
Rebels: Doyle 14+1, Newman 5+2, Morris 15, Davies 8+2, Grajczonek 11+1, Nielsen 5+2, Perry 4.
Leicester: Nieminen 0, Graversen 6, rider replacement (L Bjerre), Doolan 11, Karlsson 8, Branford 1+1, Nielsen 6+1.
Somerset Rebels have another 'big cat' to tame this Friday when they welcome the Sheffield Tigers to the Oaktree Arena. Team manager Garry May is looking for more of the same, saying: "We'll be looking for another performance like that against Sheffield and, although they've not had the best of starts, we need make sure that we are fully focussed."