THE Robins countered a late Wolverhampton body-blow to take victory on a night of top-notch racing at a rocking Abbey Stadium.
Skipper Leigh Adams once again led the way with a paid maximum, his score of 14+1 points being the 96th unbeaten tally of his illustrious Swindon career (47 full and 49 paid).
Thursday 24 April 2008
SWINDON ROBINS 50 WOLVERHAMPTON PARRYS INTERNATIONAL WOLVES 42
Sky Sports Elite League ‘A’
SWINDON looked to be cruising for the majority of the encounter, but two successive 5-1 advantages from Wolverhampton in heats eleven and twelve levelled the scores at 37 points apiece. Adams and Mads Korneliussen then rode wonderfully to reinstate the Robins’ advantage in heat thirteen, before Travis McGowan and Seb Alden wrapped up the league points with a 5-1 of their own in heat fourteen.
The meeting began in characteristic fashion, as Adams conjured a jet-propelled start from gate three to lead the field. Meanwhile, James Wright overcame an early charge from Ales Dryml to comfortably secure third spot and earn Swindon an early advantage.
Alden collected a tapes-to-flag win in the ensuing race, as he cleverly engineered a route past both Wolverhampton reserves on the first corner to show a clean pair of heels. Swindon’s guest rider, Tomas Suchanek, endured a miserable getaway and from that point on struggled to stamp his authority on the race.
Danish Grand Prix star Niels-Kristian Iversen showed his class with a super-fast victory in heat three that left the rest of the field trailing. Korneliussen’s rich vein of form continued in the following race courtesy of an all-the-way victory. The Dane repelled an early challenge from David Howe, whilst Nicolai Klindt and Alden indulged in an absorbing tussle for third spot. Klindt eventually prevailed to secure a points-share and move the away side’s tally on to 11 points, just 2 behind that of Swindon’s.
A fantastic race five saw the Queensland Firebrand, Troy Batchelor, negotiate a hectic first corner and head the field down the back straight. Meanwhile, the ever-improving McGowan and Wolverhampton’s Swedish hot-shot Fredrik Lindgren indulged in a splendid battle that eventually saw the Swindon rider prevail by the narrowest of margins. Cue the famous Blunsdon roar as the Abbey Stadium faithful exploded into ecstasy.
Adams collected his second victory of the night in heat six, whilst Wright was unable to find a route past Howe. The resultant 4-2 in the Robins’ favour extended their lead to 8 points, before an eventful heat seven ended in a points-share. Iversen was leading the initial staging of the race, but suffered a broken chain whilst negotiating bend one of lap two. The Dane was excluded from the re-run that was won by the impressive Klindt who just about repelled a spirited challenge from a hard-charging Korneliussen.
Alden clattered through the tapes in the first staging of heat eight and was replaced in the re-run by Suchanek. The Czech rider made a superb start and headed the field before being passed by the in-form Klindt. For the remainder of the race Suchanek, Dryml and Wright were close together until the latter swept past Dryml on bend two of the final lap.
Wolverhampton team manager Peter Adams nominated Lindgren for a 15-metre tactical substitution ride in heat nine and the Swedish ace wasted little time in reducing his handicap. The youngster eventually passed McGowan on the back straight of the final lap to grab second spot, but was unable to catch a wonderfully quick Batchelor out front. The resultant 4-4 kept the Swindon lead at 8 points, before a points-share in heat ten courtesy of a comfortable Adams heat win maintained the advantage.
Wolverhampton collected their first heat advantage in heat eleven with a well-worked 5-1 from Klindt and Lindgren. Remarkably, the away side continued their winning streak with a second successive maximum to level the scores in a heat twelve that saw Batchelor unable to stamp his authority after enduring a sluggish getaway.
The Robins hit back with a 5-1 of their own in a crackerjack heat thirteen that saw Adams and Korneliussen, both of whom negotiated text-book first bends, repel an early challenge from Lindgren, prior to team-riding a perfect route to victory. More success for the Robins ensued in heat fourteen with a second successive 5-1 from McGowan and Alden that secured victory for Swindon. It was a fantastic ride from the pairing that brought plenty of cheer to those on the terraces.
Adams concluded the meeting in fine style after making his worst start of the evening. The brilliant Aussie firstly charged inside Lindgren on the back straight, before reeling in Iversen and finally passing the Dane in front of the grandstand on the third lap.
The win, coupled with Ipswich defeating Eastbourne at Foxhall Heath, further cemented the Robins’ position at the head of the Elite League standings and with the Eagles due next at Blunsdon, the Wiltshire side has a great opportunity to increase their impressive lead at the top of the table.
