SWINDON boss Alun Rossiter admitted the riders motivated the manager as his side blasted back to Abbey Stadium action with an emphatic 59-36 win over Coventry.

Skipper Hans Andersen led the charge with a paid maximum at the top of a terrific all-round display as the Excalibur Robins regained their place in the Elite League’s play-off zone.

Peter Kildemand was also at his swashbuckling best and there was support right down the order, with youngster Nick Morris supplying some of the best moves of the night around the outside.

Three 5-1s in the first five races was the perfect way for the Robins to return to their home circuit after a lengthy break, and they then worked hard to maintain their lead against a Bees side who ultimately lacked the depth to back-up skipper Scott Nicholls.

There was a scare, however, for Swindon when Nicholls and Krzysztof Kasprzak combined for an 8-1 to Coventry over Troy Batchelor in Heat 11, and that reduced the Robins’ lead to just seven points.

The response, though, was one befitting of the Elite League Champions, as Swindon romped to four 5-1s in the last four races, two of them featuring Polish youngster Kacper Gomolski who recovered well from two mid-meeting last places.

Batchelor also hit back strongly in Heat 13 with Andersen, and it was Kildemand who partnered Andersen to maximum points in Heat 15 as they held off the strong challenge of Nicholls to end the meeting on a major high.

Rossiter said: “To be honest I needed a kick up the backside, I was so flat at the start of the meeting and that shouldn’t have happened. You could just tell we hadn’t been together for such a long time.

“But in fairness, on the track it was a totally different kettle of fish. It was everything I wanted – we got together, knuckled down and I was really pleased with the performance.

“I’m disappointed in myself, though, I allowed myself not to be motivated, possibly because of the long gap, and I’ve got to make sure that doesn’t happen again.

“I was a bit fed-up after they got the 8-1 but it was a tough one and we couldn’t be too hard on Troy. Kasprzak and Nicholls are a formidable pair, I thought ‘here we go again’, but we got the right response with 5-1s in Heats 12 and 13, and then in Heat 14 when I felt a bit guilty about dropping Cameron (Heeps) – but I needed to get Kacper going. And Peter and Hans were magnificent in the last race.”

SWINDON 59: Peter Kildemand 13+1, Hans Andersen 12+3, Troy Batchelor 9, Nick Morris 8+1, Kacper Gomolski 8+1, Edward Kennett 7+2, Cameron Heeps 2+1.

COVENTRY 36: Scott Nicholls 14+1, Krzysztof Kasprzak 8, Michal Szczepaniak 5+1, Stuart Robson 5, Grzegorz Zengota 3+2, Kevin Doolan 1, Olly Allen r/r.