On a chilly Blunson evening the Robins concluded their regular home Elite league campaign in emphatic fashion with a comfortable thirty four point victory over Wolverhampton.
A dominant Swindon performance saw Alun Rossiter’s side collect victory in all fifteen races and contribute eleven heat advantages.
Maximum point hauls for Leigh Adams, Jurica Pavlic and Troy Batchelor underpinned the Swindon success whilst paid nine point scores from James Wright and the recalled Seb Alden were well acquired.
Yet again, the performance of young Richard Sweetman, replacing the injured Manuel Hauzinger, certainly caught the eye and the Australian collected a thoroughly deserved paid four points. The teenager teamed up with Seb Alden in heat fourteen to gain his first paid win in Swindon colours which was well received by the Abbey Stadium faithful.
Troy Batchelor collected the man of the match award for his flawless eighteen point maximum which was obtained with lashings of speed.
Wolverhampton’s score chart was headed by Freddie Lindgren who collected twelve points but support was thin on the ground for the Swedish youngster.
Proceedings began in characteristic fashion as Leigh Adams eased to a comfortable tapes to flag victory. James Wright battled away at the rear but despite a spirited charge was unable to conjure a route past Morten Risager.
A second successive points share ensued as the sensational Jurica Pavlic roared away from the tapes and left the rest of the field trailing. Richard Sweetman made a positive start to the heat but was passed by a hard charging Ludvig Lindgren in the early stages.
The Robins’ took the lead in a heat three that saw James Wright gain the ascendancy after an intelligent first corner. On his return to the Swindon line up, Seb Alden grabbed the solitary point to ensure the Robins collected their first heat advantage of the evening.
A wonderfully worked heat four 5-1 from the youthful pairing of Troy Batchelor and Jurica Pavlic propelled Swindon into a six point lead. The Robins’ duo rode to an untroubled heat advantage and successfully repelled the challenge of Jesper B Monber in the early stages.
The dynamic Pavlic continued his winning streak in a heat five that saw the Croatian romp to victory over Wolverhampton’s Grand Prix rider, Freddie Lindgren. Seb Alden’s third spot ensured Swindon shuffled their tally along to nineteen points.
James Wright fell awkwardly on bend two of lap one in the initial staging of heat six. The British rider clattered into the air fence and was excluded from the re-staging of the race. Leigh Adams was out gated by Jesper B Monberg in the re-run but the Swindon captain roared past the Dane on the home straight of lap two.
Wolverhampton’s David Howe fell heavily in the initial staging of heat seven and was excluded from the re-run. Troy Batchelor eased to victory in the re-start whilst Richard Sweetman collected the solitary point to hand Swindon a ten point lead.
Wright and Pavlic combined for the Robins’ second 5-1 of the night in heat eight before Batchelot and Alden notched a 4-2 in race nine.
Adams and Wright rode to a comfortable 5-1 in race ten to extend Swindon’s lead to a colossal twenty points. Wolverhampton’s Freddie Lindgren was nominated for a tactical ride In heat eleven but the Swedish International was out paced by an electric ride from Troy Batchelor. The resultant 3-5 in Wolverhampton’s favour did little to halt Swindon’s spirited charge as Pavlic and Alden struck back immediately with another smooth 5-1.
Three further 5-1 heat advantages followed as the Robins finished with a flurry which saw Alun Rossiter’s side register over sixty points for the first time in 2008.
