Premier LeagueKing's Lynn 56 Scunthorpe 37KING's Lynn edged a Premier League thriller last night at the Norfolk Arena.Rob Lyon's men were pushed all the way before a late surge sunk their fired-up cross border rivals.

Premier League

King's Lynn 56 Scunthorpe 37

KING's Lynn edged a Premier League thriller last night at the Norfolk Arena.

Rob Lyon's men were pushed all the way before a late surge sunk their fired-up cross border rivals.

Kozza Smith certainly made an impact on his latest injury comeback - reeling off two stylish victories.

Lynn's all-action Aussie also had to be restrained by his own team-mates from confronting Scunthorpe's Lynn asset Simon Lambert after hitting the deck in heat seven.

Smith strode purposefully towards the pit entrance looking for a showdown with Lambert before accepting defeat in his attempts at instant retribution.

The visiting rider was excluded for his part in Smith's downfall on a night that also saw another lengthy stoppage while Scorpion Victor Bergstrom (leg) was taken to hospital.

The Swede lay motionless on the track following a spot of first bend bunching in a heat five that eventually lasted 25 minutes sandwiched around an early interval.

Chris Schramm had already head-butted the bottom boards - Lynn's Essex boy winning on points as Norfolk Arena track staff emerged to replace the battered fence panel.

Skipper Tomas Topinka and Darcy Ward anchored second-half maximums to put Lynn in control of the derby underneath brooding rain clouds. But the finale threw up one final twist with a collector's item of a fall from Topinka who then manfully tried to drag his machine off the track in an awarded shared heat.

Ward missed the gate in the opener but lined up Magnus Karlsson to rocket underneath the Swede down the back straight. Smith returned with a stylish reserve win with Jan Graversen nailed on for second until his bike trundled to a halt around the bottom bend.

Topinka used his Saddlebow track craft to glide around David Howe in the next - Howe confirmed as Ward's replacement for Lynn's weekend KO Cup tie at Berwick with the Aussie on World U21 duty.

Schramm's head first tumble into the bottom boards was the trigger for a heat five saga - Bergstrom the next to go in the re-run and on his way to hospital for a precautionary check-up.

Ward wore down Howe in heat six before Smith looked to take matters into his own hands against Lambert after sliding off into turn one.

Howe's heat nine tactical foray kept Scunthorpe interested. Carl Wilkinson then finally ended Ward's winning sequence on home shale in the testing conditions. Smith and Topinka swallowed up Karlsson in a Stars' pincer to allay any fears Lyon's side could blow a maximum points win.

Lambert turned back the clock with a heat 12 cruise but Ward blunted Karlsson's tactical bid with a turn two surge in the next.

Schramm headed the excellent Wilkinson as Smith settled for the minor spoils before Topinka was thrown over his handlebars in the finale after exiting turn three.

Stars: Ward 13+1, Eklof 4+1, Sanchez 5+2, Schramm 9+1, Topinka 11+1, Smith 8, Graversen 6.

Scorpions: Karlsson 9, Bergstrom 0, Lambert 4, Wilkinson 10+1, Howe 10, Hart 1+1, Simmons 3.

Lynn bid to keep the pressure on Premier League pace-setters Workington in tonight's trip to Sheffield (7.45pm).