WITH Mads Korneliussen nursing heavy bruising as a legacy of his guest appearance for Poole the previous evening, the Robins went into this match using rider replacement for one of their early-season heavy hitters.
Ipswich, too, operated the R/R facility for the absent Jaroslaw Hampel, whilst Poole’s Chris Holder came in as a guest for their other missing Pole, Piotr Swiberski.
Korneliussen’s absence was to cost Swindon dear and, for much of the match, it looked as if the Witches were going to go away with a win under their belts. However, Swindon showed tremendous spirit to come back at the death and snatch a last-gasp draw.
In registering 13+2 points, skipper Leigh Adams posted the 95th maximum of his glorious Robins career (47 full; 48 paid), while Troy Batchelor carded a fighting tally of 11 and scooped the Swindon Man of the Match Award from Swindon Town FC legend, Don Rogers.
Adams sped away to win a shared heat one, before Ipswich swept into the lead through a tapes-to-flag reserves’ race 5-1 from Tobias Kroner and Chris Schramm.
Ex-Swindon rider Steve Johnston roared around the first bend pack to triumph from Aussie compatriot Batchelor in heat three, whilst Chris Louis extended the Witches’ lead in third spot.
The Robins cut their deficit in heat four, as Seb Alden produced a good ride to defeat Kroner, whilst James Wright got the better of a thrilling early joust before out-pacing Schramm.
Swindon made further inroads in heat five, when Travis McGowan raced to a fine victory from Miskowiak, with Batchelor filling third place.
Courtesy of Wright and Adams, the homesters finally pulled ahead through maximum points in heat six, the Robins’ captain brilliantly shepherding his partner home in trademark fashion.
The hard work of the previous race was undone in heat seven, when Louis and Johnston cleverly worked a 5-1 over Alden, putting Ipswich in front again, at 22-20.
The Witches looked set for a second successive ‘fiver’ in the next race, until a superb last lap burst from Wright split the visiting duo. They still recorded a 4-2, though, with Holder taking the flag.
In a repeat of the race before, it was Batchelor who prevented an Ipswich 5-1 with a late turn of speed that also saw the Australian only just fail to catch the race-winner, Miskowiak, on the line.
Adams remained unbeaten in heat ten by heading Johnston, while Wright again came from behind, giving Swindon a 4-2. However, going into the refreshment break, it was the Witches who led 32-28.
Holder rocketed away to take heat eleven from McGowan and, with Miskowiak in third spot, Ipswich’s lead grew to 36-30.
Although Batchelor collected a good win in heat twelve, the Witches were happy to split the points via the wheels of Louis and Kroner in the minor scoring positions.
Adams did all he could to keep Swindon in the hunt by taking heat thirteen, while Holder came through to pass Alden for second place.
With the tension at fever pitch, Alden held his nerve to win the penultimate heat, but with Kroner and Johnston finishing ahead of McGowan it meant that the Robins’ 30-match winning streak at home in the Elite League was at an end, as all they could do was force a draw.
This they did, however, as Batchelor and Adams got the better of an all-Australian showdown race, leaving Johnston and Holder trailing to rescue a precious league point.
