LYNN’S fading hopes of retaining their Premier League crown suffered a double blow with another heavy away defeat and confirmation that number one Kevin Doolan had broken his wrist.

Somerset 58, King’s Lynn 34

LYNN’S fading hopes of retaining their Premier League crown suffered a double blow with another heavy away defeat and confirmation that number one Kevin Doolan had broken his wrist.

The champions were forced to track Sheffield guest Ricky Ashworth at the Oak Tree Arena last night following Doolan’s spill at Owlerton 24 hours earlier. Doolan has already undergone surgery and could miss the rest of Lynn’s season after crashing on the opening corner of Thursday’s 56-37 hammering.

The Stars’ now face a battle just to make the end-of-season play-offs having failed to make up any ground on runaway leaders Edinburgh in their away league double header. Ashworth posted a respectable paid nine in Doolan’s absence but Lynn were second best at one of their traditional happier hunting grounds.

Premier League pairs’ winning racer Ashworth split Ritchie Hawkins and Cory Gathercole in an eventful opener. Kozza Smith hit the deck in a dogfight with Gathercole around the bottom bend before Gathercole was then forced off 15 metres for touching the tapes but Hawkins poured on the power to head Ashworth.

Chris Mills and Darren Mallett trapped in a re-run heat two but Somerset’s reserve duo Jake Anderson and James Holder pick pocketed Mallett.Ultra-consistent second string Christian Hefenbrock opened his account with a devastating gate before Lynn old boy Shane Parker showed no mercy against former ally Tomas Topinka.

Smith dipped into Ashworth’s slipstream in heat five but Sam Masters overhauled the visiting pair and hung on with Smith clambering all over his back wheel. Topinka was first out of the gate in heat six but Hawkins and Gathercole were already clear exiting turn two to move Somerset 12 ahead on the scoresheets.

Joe Haines’ tactical raid failed miserably with Parker and Anderson team riding to perfection before Holder dived inside Mills to grab a minor point in the next behind Hawkins. Hefenbrock was awarded heat nine when team mate Masters slipped off around the top bend with Topinka and Mallett in the rear. Haines and Casper Wortmann again out gated the home duo only for Lynn’s Dane to defer down the back straight as Hawkins and Gathercole stalked their prey.

Ashworth’s tactical raid and solid support from Smith grabbed the visitors an all too rare heat advantage but again Hefenbrock weaved around Wortmann and the outgunned Mallett in the next. Gathercole’s heat 13 flag moved Somerset out of sight and through the 50 point barrier before Masters and the Aussie returned to deliver the last rites - Gathercole diving inside Smith and sweeping around Haines in the finale.

Rebels: Gathercole 11+1, Hawkins 9+1, Hefenbrock 9, Masters 7, Parker 10+2, Holder 6+1, Anderson 6+1.

Stars: Ashworth 8+1, Smith 6+2, Wortmann 3, Haines 9, Topinka 3, Mallett 1+1, Mills 4.