BRILLIANT skipper Leigh Adams twice defeated Jason Crump on his way to 14 points, as Swindon recorded a 49-43 success over Belle Vue in their first league match of the 08 campaign.
Thursday 3 April 2008
SWINDON ROBINS 49 ONE 51 BELLE VUE ACES 43
Sky Sports Elite League ‘A’
THE Robins bagged their first Sky Sports Elite League points of the 2008 season with a well-deserved victory over a Belle Vue septet that simply refused to throw in the towel.
A pleasant April evening saw a large attendance converge on Blunsdon and those present witnessed an intriguing encounter that was scattered with good quality racing on a well prepared racing strip.
Swindon held the ascendancy throughout, but were unable to stretch their lead past 8 points at any stage.
A characteristically workmanlike performance from Leigh Adams provided the foundation on which Swindon constructed their success.
The legendary Australian recovered from an opening heat defeat at the hands of Jason Crump by overcoming the two-times World Champion in scintillating heat thirteen and fifteen duels.
The former, in particular, was an early contender for race of the season as the two stalwarts of Australian speedway indulged in an absorbing duel in which there was never more than a bike’s length between them.
It was a real master class in top quality speedway racing that was replicated in heat fifteen, as Adams again successfully repelled an intense challenge from Crump, who utilized the array of racing lines that a grippy surface offered.
Mads Korneliussen’s impressive start to the 2008 campaign continued vibrantly as the popular Dane contributed a classy paid 10-point haul.
Elsewhere, Seb Alden went about his work with plenty of tenacity as he cruised to a paid 9-point score, whilst Troy Batchelor recovered from a disappointing opening ride to collect a paid 8 tally.
James Wright’s paid 6 points included a confidence-boosting race win in heat eight, but it proved to be a disappointing evening for Travis McGowan, who could only muster a 4-point score.
Cory Gathercole’s paid 4 score included a scintillating passing manoeuvre in heat two, as he sliced through the Aces’ reserve pairing on bend one of lap two, much to the delight of the Swindon fans.
The visiting side were well served by the aforementioned exploits of Crump, whose 13-point haul was bettered by a paid 16 contribution from former Robin Charlie Gjedde.
The Dane wasted no time re-familiarising himself with Blunsdon, as he romped to victory in his opening two races and later grabbed a super second place after being nominated for a 15-metre tactical substitute ride.
Meanwhile, long-serving Belle Vue rider Joe Screen pitched in with an entertainingly acquired paid 8 points, the same score as Polish recruit Lukasz Jankowski, whose excellent night’s work certainly caught the eye.
The meeting got underway in superb fashion as Adams chased Crump hard in a super-quick heat one. The Swindon captain was ultimately unable to pass the Belle Vue No. 1, despite coming close on bend two of lap three.
Alden made a lightning fast start in heat two and was initially joined by Gathercole out front until the youngster made a mistake on the apex of turns three and four, which saw the Belle Vue duo surge past.
Gathercole, however, regained his composure and roared past the Aces duo on the next corner to combine with Alden for the first 5-1 of the evening.
Gjedde and Jankowski combined for a heat advantage in the ensuing heat before Screen headed McGowan and Alden in race four.
Crump became the Aces’ third successive winner in heat five, before Adams and Wright combined for a 4-2 in the next race to double the Swindon lead to 4 points.
Belle Vue hit back in perfect fashion via the rapid pairing of Gjedde and Jankowski, who collected a 5-1 to level the scores after race seven.
Two consecutive Swindon 5-1 advantages ensued, firstly through the ever-improving duo of Wright and Alden, whose efforts were quickly replicated by Batchelor and Korneliussen.
With Swindon 8 points in front, Adams headed Gjedde in heat ten before Crump and Forsberg collected a 4-2 in bizarre circumstances in race eleven.
Gathercole had fallen on the first corner, but quickly remounted and came tantalisingly close to grabbing third spot as Forsberg’s chain snapped on turn three, leaving the Swede to push home for the final point.
Batchelor rode an intelligent race to keep Gjedde at bay in heat twelve, while Alden’s third sport re-instated Swindon’s 8-point advantage.
The heat thirteen clash of the Aussies certainly lived up to expectations, with Adams just getting the better of Crump in an absorbing four-lap duel.
Gjedde was nominated for a 15-metre tactical substitute ride in heat fourteen and managed to collect second spot, but couldn’t catch a smooth-looking Korneliussen out front.
More awesome Australian action ensued in heat fifteen, as Adams and Crump demonstrated for a third time in quick succession just why they will be at the forefront of international speedway in 2008.
HEAT DETAILS BY ROBERT BAMFORD
MATCH REPORT BY CHRIS SEAWARD
