THERE was a real throng at the Abbey for the eagerly-awaited clash of this season’s big two and, amid a tense and expectant atmosphere, Swindon showed their mettle to defeat Wolverhampton and cement their place in pole position ahead of the Play-Offs.

Whilst both Leigh Adams and Matej Zagar weighed in with familiar double-figure tallies, it was reserve Morten Risager who provided the match-winning contribution, the popular Dane notching a well-acquired 11-point haul.



SWINDON
Leigh Adams (C) 2 3 3 3 2* - - 13 (1)
Ryan Fisher 0 1 1* 0 - - - 2 (1)
Simon Stead 2 2 2 2* - - - 8 (1)
Travis McGowan 1* 1* 1* 1* - - - 4 (4)
Matej Zagar 3 2 2 1 3 - - 11
Paul Hurry 2* 0 F - - - - 2 (1)
Morten Risager 3 1 2 3 2 - - 11
Team manager: Alun Rossiter

WOLVERHAMPTON
Fredrik Lindgren 3 3 3 2 - - - 11
Nicolai Klindt 1 0 3 1 - - - 5
Adam Skornicki 0 1 1* 1 - - - 3 (1)
Tai Woffinden 3 3 2 3 R - - 11
Peter Karlsson (C) 2 2 3 0 1 - - 8
Chris Kerr F 0 0 0 - - - 0
Lee Complin 1 R 0 0 - - - 1
Team manager: Peter Adams
Referee: Daniel Holt

Ht 1: Lindgren, Adams, Klindt, Fisher, 63.99 (2-4)
Ht 2: Risager, Hurry, Complin, Kerr (fell), 65.80 (7-5)
Ht 3: Woffinden, Stead, McGowan, Skornicki, 64.80 (10-8)
Ht 4: Zagar, Karlsson, Risager (f, rem), Complin (ret), 66.02 (14-10)
Ht 5: Lindgren, Stead, McGowan, Klindt, 64.33 (17-13)
Ht 6: Adams, Karlsson, Fisher, Kerr, 64.93 (21-15)
Ht 7: Woffinden, Zagar, Skornicki, Hurry, 65.65 (23-19)
Ht 8: Klindt, Risager, Fisher, Complin, 66.52 (26-22)
Ht 9: Karlsson, Stead, McGowan, Kerr, 65.36 (29-25)
Ht 10: Adams, Woffinden, Skornicki, Fisher, 65.39 (32-28)
Ht 11: Lindgren, Zagar, Klindt, Hurry (fell), 66.21 (34-32)
Ht 12: Risager, Stead, Skornicki, Kerr, 67.24 (39-33)
Ht 13: Adams, Lindgren, Zagar, Karlsson, 65.02 (43-35)
Ht 14: Woffinden, Risager, McGowan, Complin, 66.27 (46-38)
Ht 15: (Nominated; Re-Run) Zagar (b), Adams (r), Karlsson (g), Woffinden (y; ret), 66.49 (51-39)

Programme change:
Ht 14: Risager replaced Hurry.

NOTE: (1) Under the league scoring system introduced for 2009, Swindon gained 3 points and Wolverhampton received 0; (2) The Robins’ victory meant they finished the standard league programme in first place, 4 points ahead of Wolverhampton.

ON a tense night of Abbey Stadium action, Swindon concluded their standard Elite League schedule in fine fashion by registering a 12-point victory over Wolverhampton.

It was certainly a memorable night at Blunsdon, as Swindon repelled a strong charge from the visiting side in the middle sector and then launched a well-timed surge of their own on in the closing stages.

Swindon’s eventual dozen-point margin of victory, and subsequent 3 Elite League points, means Alun Rossiter’s team finish the standard league programme in first position for the first time since 1967.

The Swindon scoring was headed by a characteristically impressive display from Robins’ captain Leigh Adams, the Australian just dropping a solitary point from his five ride schedule.

Solid eleven point hauls from the in-form duo of Matej Zagar and Morten Risager helped form the backbone of Swindon’s success. Meanwhile, an excellent paid nine tally for Simon Stead included some impressive team-riding.

Wolverhampton’s charge was jointly headed by the youthful duo of Freddie Lindgren and Tai Wofiinden who collectively amassed a twenty-two point figure.

After ten heats of speedway just a two point margin separated the heavyweight sides, with Wolves having just edged out Swindon in terms of race winners.

However, the Robins turned on the style emphatically in the closing stages of the encounter. A crucial 5-1 heat twelve advantage from Simon Stead and Morten Risager was integral to Swindon’s eventual success.

The duo romped to a comfortable 1-2 finish and in doing do coaxed the legendary Blunsdon roar from the terraces. A 4-2 in heat thirteen and a points share in fourteenth meant the Robins entered the concluding heat nurturing an eight point cushion.

The awesome Adams/Zagar duo wrapped things up perfectly with a textbook 5-1 in the final outing. Roared on by an appreciative Abbey Stadium crowd, the big two blazed a super fast trail out front to shuffle Swindon’s margin of victory to twelve points.