Lynn Stars suffer first home defeat of the season

Premiership

King’s Lynn Stars 44 Somerset Rebels 46

Lynn threw victory away in a last-heat decider to suffer their first home defeat of the season in a tight affair on Wednesday.

Firstly the Stars were missing two Danes – the injured Niels-Kristian Iversen and the ill Thomas Jorgensen – at the Adrian Flux Arena, and faced current world champion Jason Doyle.

Lynn looked to be in control, however a retirement by home guest Sam Masters, the 2017 Australian champion, in Heat 13 and a fall by outstanding reserve Lewis Kerr – against his former club – in the following race put pressure on them with the hosts just 43-41 up going into the final race.

Stars hero and captain Robert Lambert met Doyle three times in the mouth-watering final five heats; Lambert coming out on top two races to one; firstly in Heat 11 when the surprising winner was Jake Allen.

Lambert thrillingly beat the Aussie in Heat 13 with a second-lap move but Doyle got his revenge and sealed the match by heading home a 5-1 maximum with Jack Holder in Heat 15.

Norwich-based Doyle was well out in front from the second corner to win a shared opening race. Doyle also easily won his second (Heat 5), before those clashes with Lynn’s in-form skipper.

Lynn led by just four points at the Heat 10 interval, 32-28, the closest they have been held at home so far this season at the Saddlebow Road stadium.

An away guest was Ryan Kinsley, an ex-Young Stars rider.

King’s Lynn Stars: Sam Masters (guest) 5, Michael Palm Toft 6+1, Ty Proctor 5+1, Thomas Jorgensen R/R, Robert Lambert 15, Kasper Andersen 1, Lewis Kerr 12; No.8 rider Taylor Hampshire. Fastest time: Lambert, Heat 7, 58.78 seconds.

Somerset Rebels: Jason Doyle 12, Jake Allen 5, Charles Wright 6+2, Jack Holder 13+1, Richard Lawson 7+1, Ryan Kinsley (guest) 0, Bradley Wilson-Dean 3. Fastest time: Doyle, Heat 5, 58.98secs.