Without their injured talisman Mario Obrecht this week Sedgemoor lost all three of their meetings, including two on home shale! The defeats saw their reign as Division One Cup holders come to an end, Pennsylvania completing an emphatic 24 point victory in the final of that competition with a 35-55 win at Holford Park, and extend the title race into the final month of the season. The cup loss followed an earlier defeat for the Rebels in their top of the table clash against Seaton, the Meteors 42-48 winners at the same venue. One consolation for the league leaders though was that Seaton went on to lose their home fixture, leaving Sedgemoor still six points clear at the head of the standings. Joszef Tolcseres raced to the first of two maximums in the week at the Rebels, the Seaton number one completing the five ride full house with victories over Marco Bonertz (13+1) and guest David Ridenton (8) in heats 13 and 15, the victories returned in the first and third of three straight 4-2’s which saw the visitors clinch all three league points on offer. Tolcseres followed that up with an unbeaten 15 at Cambridge, but that didn’t prevent a first Cougars league victory at Seaton in 15 appearances, the minor places for Marek Najewski (10) and Russell Draper (10+1) behind the world number one in the final heat earning their side all three league points. That defeat could just end the Meteors chances of snatching the title away for Sedgemoor, although the Rebels will need to get back to winning ways quickly to avoid a nervous finish to the campaign. Their grip on the Division One Cup loosened all too readily with the visit of Pennsylvania, who’d come to Holford Park holding just a four point lead from the first leg of the final. That advantage was quickly trebled with heat maximums from the Pirates in heats one and two, Marcus Rottensteiner (13+2) and Shaun Chase (12+2) taking the points in the opener—the first of three sets of 5-1’s from the pairing on the night—with Teddy Thlyander (6+2) leading the reserves full contribution in heat two. By the end of heat five the visitors were 9-21 in front on the night and already there was seemingly not way back for the hosts. They were eventually put out of their misery in heat 12, Thylander picking up a point for third to confirm his sides victory behind team mate and race winner Joe Chapman. It is of course Pennsylvania’s—and their promoter Dave Lewis’s—first trophy since their return to the sport last season, the Pirates did previously though win the third division version of the competition way back in SL2.