SWINDON kept their strong home form going with a hard-fought 48-42 win over Belle Vue at the Abbey Stadium on Thursday.

Danish star Peter Kildemand made a spectacular return to Robins colours with paid-13 to lead the way against an Aces side who held the advantage after five races.

Despite an opening race 5-1, the Robins found themselves 13-17 down – but successive maximum advantages turned the meeting around.

The impressive Grzegorz Zengota combined with Nick Morris for a Heat 6 5-1 over Scott Nicholls and Matej Zagar, the latter looking a pale shadow of the rider who was such a successful member of the 2009 Robins’ team.

And then Kildemand and Troy Batchelor held back Josh Grajczonek and Rory Schlein in Heat 7 to put Swindon into a lead they never relinquished – Schlein coming in for the visitors to guest for an unwell Craig Cook.

Zengota struck misfortune with a blown engine in Heat 8 but back-to-back 5-1s followed again in Heats 10 and 11 as Zagar scored his first point when team-mate Max Fricke dropped a chain – whilst Heat 12 was awarded when Josh Grajczonek crashed out.

Swindon’s ten-point lead always looked likely to be enough to take them to victory, but Scott Nicholls stepped up in the closing stages with wins in Heats 13 and 15 to help the Aces salvage a league point.

In between those races came an eventful Heat 14 when Morris dropped his sole points of the evening after a terrific battle for third place with Grajczonek.

The result moves the Robins up to fifth place in the Elite League table, three points behind Wolverhampton with a match in hand as they go into a two-week break from home fixtures before the visit of Leicester on May 21.

Manager Alun Rossiter said: “I didn’t fear the meeting, but I was a bit nervous, and I should have more confidence in the boys because they’re riding really well here and everybody dug deep.

“It was the Peter Kildemand of old so I’m very happy with that, and the three points are the important thing for us – I’d have taken that result before the start.

“Troy is still struggling, he’s not comfortable on the bike, but he’ll get there, I’m very confident about that.”

SWINDON 48: Peter Kildemand 12+1, Grzegorz Zengota 10, Nick Morris 8+1, Charles Wright 8, Kyle Howarth 6+3, Troy Batchelor 4+2, Lewis Rose 0.
BELLE VUE 42: Scott Nicholls 9+1, Rory Schlein 8, Steve Worrall 7+1, Max Fricke 7, Stefan Nielsen 5, Josh Grajczonek 4+1, Matej Zagar 2.