SWINDON finished off their 2011 campaign with a 54-36 Friday night defeat at Peterborough.

Bottom place in the ten-team Elite League was already confirmed for the Robins going into the fixture, but despite the final scoreline they were very much in the contest until the closing stages.

Scott Nicholls and guest Ty Proctor put them 4-2 ahead in Heat 1 and Simon Stead and Proctor then increased the lead with a maximum in Heat 3.

The Panthers did level things up within a couple of races, but Jan Staechmann’s men continued to battle away with the scores still locked together following the completion of Heat 7.

Stead then came from behind to beat Kacper Gomolski to the chequered flag in race eight, and with Mikkel B Jensen holding on for third place the Robins edged ahead again (25-23).

But Peterborough hit straight back with a 5-1 in Heat 9 and then took full control of the match and had it won as they led 45-33 with two races remaining.

Stead went for double-points in the penultimate race, but despite making the start was passed impressively by the Panthers pair of Linus Sundstrom and Richard Lawson and Swindon’s hopes of a consolation point were over.

PETERBOROUGH 54: Troy Batchelor 14+1, Hans Andersen 8+3, Krzysztof Buczkowski 8+1, Linus Sundstrom 8, Kacper Gomolski 7, Michael B Jensen 5, Richard Lawson 4+2

SWINDON 36: Scott Nicholls 10, Simon Stead 9+1, Ty Proctor 6+2, Nicolai Klindt 5, Kenny Ingalls 5, Mikkel B Jensen 1, Grzegorz Zengota R/R