Inspired by fantastic performances from home riders Jason Crump and Charlie Gjedde Swindon have been defeated at Belle Vue by four points.
The Robins took the meeting to a last heat decider but the Swindon pairing of Leigh Adams and Travis McGowan were unable to register the race advantage they required to collect the elite league points.
Belle Vue Aces
1. Jason Crump 3 3 3 2 3 - - 14
2. Tai Woffinden (G) 1 3 3 0 - - - 7
3. Charlie Gjedde 1 3 3 3 1 - - - 11
4. Lukasz Jankowski – TW,RK,RK,
5. Joe Screen (C) 1 3 2 1* 3 - - 10 (1)
6. Robert Ksiezak 0 0 0 1 0 - -0
7. Jonas Raun 2 0 0 0 0 - - 2
Team Manager: Chris Morton
For a second time this season the Robins came agonisingly close to collecting a crucial away victory but were eventually defeated by a slender four point margin.
Swindon held the ascendancy in the early stages but a mid meeting revival from Belle Vue earned them a four point cushion of their own.
The Robins were unable to stamp their authority in the final third of the meeting and despite narrowing the deficit to two point by heat fourteen were ultimately powerless to halt the Belle Vue pairing of Jason Crump and Charlie Gjedde registering a 4-2 in the concluding race.
Swindon’s score chart was topped by captain Leigh Adams who notched up a paid twelve point haul whilst an eight point contribution from Seb Alden was well acquired. Theo Pijper’s paid seven point score suggests he is beginning to find form after his collar bone injury whilst Travis McGowan was consistently in the thick of the action.
It was however another miserable away meeting for Troy Batchelor who will have been left disappointed not to have contributed more than four points.
Two times World champion Jason Crump took victory in the opener and was initially joined out front by team mate Tai Woffinden. However Leigh Adams roared past the youngster in the closing stages to restrict the home side to a 4-2 heat advantage.
The score were quickly levelled in heat two as Theo Pijper collected a well deserved heat victory whilst Seb Alden cruised home for third spot.
Mads Korneliussen was excluded from the initial staging of heat three after falling on the third bend of lap two under pressure from former Robins rider Charlie Gjedde. In the re-run teenage hot shot Tai Woffinden took victory whilst Travis McGowan tucked into second spot and shrewdly countered the persistent charge of Gjedde.
Batchelor and Alden romped to an emphatic 5-1 victory in heat four to put Swindon two points ahead before Gjedde steadied Belle Vue with a gutsy race win in the fifth.
The Aces hit back in the ensuing heat through the solid partnership of Jason Crump and Tai Woffinden who team rode to a flawless 5-1 race advantage that eradicated the Swindon lead and propelled Belle Vue into the driving seat.
Two successive points shares followed, firstly Belle Vue captain Joe Screen romped to victory before the sensational Tai Woffinden continued to impress with a cleverly executed victory in race eight.
Troy Batchelor was excluded for a third bend first lap fall in the initial staging of heat nine which left Theo Pijper as the sole Swindon representative. The Dutchman held his nerve well as he was able to split the Aces pairing and limit the home side to a 4-2 heat advantage.
McGowan and Korneliussen followed Jason Crump home in heat ten in a race that saw Tai Woffinden remount after a fall on the first turn.
The Robins hauled themselves back into contention with a 4-2 from Adams and Wright in heat eleven which narrowed the Aces lead to just two points.
Gjedde blasted to victory in twelve before Adams got the better of Crump and Screen in a crackerjack heat thirteen.
Despite a spirited effort Travis McGowan was unable to forge a route past Joe Screen in heat fourteen and the resultant points share meant Swindon trailed by two entering the final race.
Leigh Adams made the start but a well executed cut back from Jason Crump handed the Belle Vue rider the lead heading into turn three. Meanwhile, Charlie Gjedde was using all his home track knowledge to repel the challenge of Travis McGowan who was searching for passing opportunities throughout.
The 4-2 advantage in the Aces favour secured them a victory on the night and left the Robins wondering what might have been.
