IN A memorable Brandon encounter, the Robins performed tenaciously to register a well deserved 45 point draw against Coventry and secure two crucial Elite league points.

COVENTRY
Chris Harris (C) 3 3 3 1 2 - - 12
Ben Barker 2* 1 3 2* 0 - - 8 (2)
Edward Kennett 0 1* 0 0 - - - 1 (1)
Lewis Bridger 1 2 2 2* - - - 7 (1)
Krzysztof Kasprzak 1 3 2 0 - - - 6
Richard Sweetman 2* 0 0 - - - - 2 (1)
Przemyslaw Pawlicki 3 R 1 2 3 - - 9
Team manager: Alun Rossiter

SWINDON
Leigh Adams (C) 0 3 3 3 3 - - 12
Morten Risager 1 0 0 - - - - 1
Mads Korneliussen 2* 1* 1 1 - - - 5 (2)
Grzegorz Zengota 3 2 D 0 - - - 5
Simon Stead 3 0 3 2* 1 - - 9 (1)
Cory Gathercole 1 2 1 3 - - - 7
Thomas H. Jonasson 0 2* 2 1 1 - - 6 (1)
Team manager: Ronnie Russell
Referee: Daniel Holt

Ht 1: Harris, Barker, Risager, Adams, 59.1 (5-1)
Ht 2: Pawlicki, Sweetman, Gathercole, Jonasson, 58.7 (10-2)
Ht 3: (Re-Run) Zengota, Korneliussen, Bridger, Kennett, 58.8 (11-7)
Ht 4: Stead, Jonasson, Kasprzak, Pawlicki (ret), 59.0 (12-12)
Ht 5: Adams, Bridger, Kennett, Risager, 58.0 (15-15)
Ht 6: Harris, Gathercole, Barker, Stead, 58.4 (19-17)
Ht 7: Kasprzak, Zengota, Korneliussen, Sweetman, 59.4 (22-20)
Ht 8: Barker, Jonasson, Pawlicki, Risager, 59.0 (26-22)
Ht 9: Stead, Bridger, Gathercole, Kennett, 58.2 (28-26)
Ht 10: (Re-Run) Harris, Barker, Korneliussen, Zengota (disq, foul riding), 59.2 (33-27)
Ht 11: Adams, Kasprzak, Jonasson, Sweetman, 58.8 (35-31)
Ht 12: Gathercole, Pawlicki, Korneliussen, Kennett, 58.7 (37-35)
Ht 13: Adams, Stead, Harris, Kasprzak, 58.3 (38-40)
Ht 14: Pawlicki, Bridger, Jonasson, Zengota, 59.5 (43-41)
Ht 15: (Nominated) Adams (w), Harris (b), Stead (y), Barker (r), 58.5 (45-45)

Programme changes:
Ht 11: Jonasson replaced Risager; Ht 14: Pawlicki replaced Sweetman.

NOTE: Under the league scoring system, Coventry gained 1point and Swindon received 2.


THIS hard fought affair saw the meeting momentum change hands on numerous occasions and both sides were presented with opportunities to secure overall victory.

Despite trailing by an eight point margin after the completion of the opening two heats, Swindon constructed a lead of two-points as the meeting entered the penultimate race.

However, a 5-1 from the Coventry duo of Przemyslaw Pawlicki and Lewis Bridger in the fourteenth handed the Warwickshire side a late ascendancy.

A crackerjack finale ensued as the Robins crafted the heat advantage they required to secure an overall meeting draw.

Indeed, it was the dynamic Robins’ pairing Leigh Adams and Simon Stead who notched a 4-2 advantage in the concluding heat.

In the opening lap of the intense four-lap dash the Swindon duo held a 5-1 lead, but a hard charging Chris Harris roared underneath Simon Stead on lap two and repelled Stead's challenge successfully.

Swindon displayed admirable spirit and tenacity throughout as they prevented Coventry from constructing a large advantage. The progressive scores were in stark contrast to when the two sides met at Brandon earlier in the season, on that occasion both managers nominated riders for tactical outings.

However, proceedings proved to be much tighter this time around and neither Ronnie Russell nor Alun Rossiter were presented with a double point option.

Coventry started strongly and notched successive 5-1 race advantages in the opening two races. However, Swindon struck back immediately with two 5-1 results of their own and

Robins’ skipper Leigh Adams headed the Swindon score-chart with a twelve-point haul. The Australian stalwart recovered from a pointless opening ride by romping to four superb heat wins thereafter. Adams received solid back-up from a hard charging Simon Stead who amassed a paid-ten contribution from his five ride schedule and was right amongst the action throughout.

Whilst the performancesof Adams and Stead topped the Robins’ scorers, it was the strength in depth offered by the remainder of the Swindon side that was integral to the eventual result.

Both Mads Korneliussen and Thomas H. Jonasson amassed paid seven, whilst Cory Gathercole accrued an excellent seven point score of his own.

Meanwhile, Grzegorz Zengota started the meeting in fine fashion and dropped just a solitary point from his opening two rides. However, the Polish youngster’s progress was halted by a controversial disqualification in his third ride when tussling with Coventry’s Chris Harris.

Coventry’s attack was fronted by their popular Cornish duo of Chris Harris and Ben Barker who collectively conjured a hefty paid twenty-four score. Eye catching hauls also came from Polish hot-shot Przemyslaw Pawlicki, whilst Lewis Bridger weighed in with a useful paid eight contribution.

The result secures Swindon two Elite league points and consolidates their sixth placed position in the standings.

Swindon team-manager Ronnie Russell said:

“Yet again, we’ve come out of an away meeting with points which keeps our league tally progressing very nicely indeed.

I’ve said it before, but the second half of our season began with the win at Ipswich and we’ve produced solid performance since then.

We showed tremendous spirit at Coventry and the boys rode with passion. Coventry are now an extremely strong side and we’ve matched them on their own circuit, I’m very pleased. "