Rebels bag useful first leg lead.

With most of the West Country effected by rain, and the Plymouth meeting taking an early bath, fans were greeted to the unusual sight of the Oak Tree Arena track being watered amidst gathering rain clouds.

The weather in the Highbridge area had escaped most of the rain, and the drying wind had left the track staff with the difficult decision of watering or not. As it turned out they chose the correct one, which apart from one minor delay produced a highly entertaining meeting.

In the past the Somerset "Mike Manning Audio" Rebels have enjoyed some fine results in the Knock Out Cup against tonight's rivals, and were clearly looking to build a good lead to take to Loomer Road for Saturday's return fixture. Things did not go according to plan in the first heat, as the Stoke "Easy Rider" Potters number one, and former Rebel Mark Lemon, showed that he still knew his way round the Oak Tree circuit, when he lowered the colours of home skipper Magnus Zetterstrom. Zorro has been in almost unbeatable form at home, and did not give up lightly. After Lemon made the batter start, Zorro tracked him on the wide outside for three laps, and then dived up the Australian's inside on the first bend of the last lap to take the lead. Lemon had a bit up his sleeve, and repaid the compliment at the very next bend, stealing the lead back on the back straight. Glen Phillips took the minor points for a shared heat in this terrific opener on a difficult night.

Over the last couple of weeks the reserve pairing have really started to fire again, and tonight they continued this fine form. Led from the gate by Barrie Evans, they swooped past on either side, going round the opening two turns, and were never headed again, with Ben Barker taking the win for a Rebels 5-1. Heat Three was shared, but it may have been a different story had Paul Fry not pulled a huge locker on the opening bend when in a challenging position. Stephan Katt made a good start to lead off the opening turn, and was never troubled. After his setback, Paul Fry harried the back wheel of Paul Clews, but could not find a way passed.

Just before the next heat was due the rain made an appearance, and with three riders waiting on the line, and the two minutes fast disappearing, Stoke skipper Alan Mogridge asked the referee, Dale Entwhistle to look at the conditions. the referee consulted with the riders, and a short delay was agreed to see if the rain cleared, which it duly did. In the race the Stoke pair made the better start, and it was Mogridge who led around the opening bend. Glenn Cunningham got the better of Priest on the next, and set off after Mogridge. Barker took until the home straight before he too passed the Potters reserve. Cunningham pressed Mogridge for all four laps, but with the veteran Londoner sat out in the dirt he couldn't find a way by.

The Rebels then went into top gear, banging in 5-1's in the next two heats. First it was the turn of Paul Fry and Stephan Katt to take the maximum return, as Stoke new boy Trent Leverington made a quick getaway. Fry drove round the outside to squeeze through the narrowest of gaps in the back straight to lead. Katt cut inside Leverington on the third bend, as Fry again pulled a big locker, but this time he kept it going to fend off Mark Lemon. The pair then rode a superb team race to snub out the useful Lemon's challenge. Heat 6 saw Glen Phillips make a lighting start alongside Alan Mogridge, but a better second bend saw Phillips emerge as the leader. Magnus Zetterstrom the swooped around the outside of Mogridge coming off the fourth turn, and the race was effectively over, with Zorro riding shotgun to Phillips for the remaining three laps.

Heat 7 saw the Potters take their only true heat advantage of the night as Robbie Kessler used the wide line to get the better of Glenn Cunningham around the opening bends. Cunningham could not get back on terms as Kessler stuck to the outside. In the mean time, Simon Walker was having his own battle with Paul Clews, but eventually he had to give best despite a spirited ride. 2-4 to the Potters.

Heat 8 was shared as Trent Leverington, and his partner made the better start. It was not long however before the Rebels pair of Barker and Phillips had accounted for Priest, but could not better the young Australian. A shared heat, and a Rebels lead at half way of 29-19.

The two oldest men on the track served up one of the best races of the night in Heat 9. Alan Mogridge made a flying start to lead, only for Paul Fry to cut up his inside on the third bend. Mogridge came back on the outside, and they were locked together for the whole of the next lap. They were so close together, that it almost seemed as if Mogridge was sat on Fry's saddle as they rounded the third bend for the second time. But a determined Fry made the move stick, and pulled ahead from the next turn. Stirring stuff from two tough cookies. Stephan Katt took an easy third, as Barrie Evans machine expired at the start.

It was 5-1 time for the home side again in the next heat, as Zetterstrom and Phillips made good starts, and won relatively untroubled over Kessler and Clews. With ten heats completed and the tie seemingly gone from their grasp at 38-22, Potters team manager, John Adams, sent out Mark Lemon for a belated tactical ride. Mark Lemon did the job as he got the better of a fantastic four abreast tussle around the opening two turns. Once he's in the lead, there are not many who will get the better of Lemon around the Highbridge circuit, and so it proved. A shared heat, but with the "Black and White" giving Stoke the advantage, 3-6.

The Rebels wasted no time in restoring the lead, by taking another 5-1 in the next. The Stoke pairing again got the better start as Clews lead from Evans. Ben Barker had other ideas though, a roared around the outside of the second bend to pass both Potters in one move. Katt the picked off the away riders over the next couple of bends to take the maximum points advantage.

Magnus Zetterstrom made it one each in his personal battle with Mark Lemon, by taking Heat 13. Zorro led from the start, in front of a level break from Lemon, and Cunningham. Lemon cut inside Cunningham on the second bend to take up second spot, and that's how it stayed, with Mogridge bringing up the rear.

Paul Fry has been suffering a torrid time of late, and in the last week has spent a lot of time getting his engines right. The hard work all paid off as he took his third win of the reel in Heat 14. Kessler, who Stoke had thrown in for a late "Tactical" move, led from the gates with Fry heading for the dirt. The Hereford based rider then produced another great swoop around the outside, to squeezed into a fast narrowing gap on the back straight. Once through it was all over as he pulled away for an easy win. Simon Walker took the minor placing.

Such was Fry's return to form that he earned a place in the nominated heat alongside his skipper Magnus Zetterstrom. The Potters threw in Lemon and Kessler, as they won the toss, taking gates 2 and 4. It was Zorro who again came out on top with a fast start. Paul Fry, never the quickest out of the gate, completely missed the start as his machine spun up badly, but soon challenged until he was shut out on the third turn. The end result was a shared heat, and a 57-38 win for the Somerset "Mike Manning Audio" Rebels. With a 19-point lead in the bag, they must now be confident of at least an aggregate win in the return leg.

The Geoff Dagger sponsored "Rider of the Night" award went, deservedly, to Ben Barker for the third week on the trot and a return of 9+1 from his four rides.

The main sponsors of tonight's meeting were West Country neighbours, Exeter Speedway Ltd, and they must have been pleased with a terrific meeting, on a night when many other would have been called off. The news on the Exeter front is encouraging, as Exeter director, Alan Trump told the crowd that they are ready to submit their planning application for the new track at Haldon racecourse. He said that he was confident that they would succeed, as the planning history of the site was that it was an appropriate venue to hold speedway, with Longtrack meetings having been held there in the past. He also confirmed that recent noise tests at the venue had been successfully completed, with no problems arising. He outlined plans for the new stadium facilities, with a Grandstand and Hospitality boxes. With a 320 meter banked track based on the Somerset design.

The Rebels now have a busy week in front of them, with visits to Stoke and Mildenhall over the weekend, and Sheffield on Thursday, before returning home next Friday.