Elite League
Swindon Speedway: Robins soar six clear at top of table.
By Admin
Apr 29, 2008, 20:37

A fantastic team performance saw Swindon collect a comprehensive and well- deserved victory over Eastbourne on a memorable night at the Abbey stadium.

In front of the Sky Sports cameras, the Robins flexed their wings and defeated the Eagles in the much-anticipated top-of-the-table clash.

Indeed, a large and rapturous Blunsdon crowd witnessed a flawless Swindon team performance that once again muted the critics who were so vocal in the winter months. The emphatic result puts the Robins 6 points clear at top of the Elite League ahead of a five-day break from action.

In truth, the Robins dominant performance halted the Eastbourne charge and the opponents from East Sussex never looked like mounting a challenge for victory.

Birthday boy Leigh Adams got proceedings underway with a comfortable tapes-to-flag win after a commanding first corner secured the Australian a clear route to victory. James Wright conjured a good start, but was passed by a hard-charging Scott Nicholls on the back straight of lap one.

The Swindon reserve pairing collected a well-worked 5-1 in heat two, with Cory Gathercole clamping the Eastbourne contingent on the inside line whilst a super-quick Seb Alden blasted around the outside of the field. The Swedish youngster held the ascendancy throughout, whilst the ever improving Gathercole rode well to repel a spirited challenge from Gustafsson.

A crackerjack heat three saw the Robins collect a second successive 5-1 advantage through the impressive Australian duo of Travis McGowan and Troy Batchelor. The former had a relatively uneventful race, whilst Batchelor scrapped with compatriot Cameron Woodward and prevailed courtesy of a truly tenacious ride. The Queenslander adopted a leg-trailing style as he flirted with Blunsdon wider outposts and eventually roared away from Woodward in third.

The Eagles collected their first race win of the night in heat four as British youngster Edward Kennett capitalized on a productive outside gate. Mads Korneliussen chased the Brit hard for the majority of the race, but a mistake on bend two of lap three proved costly. Meanwhile, Alden held on comfortably to third spot to ensure the first points-share of the evening.

Nicholls was nominated for a tactical ride in heat five, as the Eagles' management attempted to halt Swindon's early meeting charge. A hectic first corner saw Nicholls edge out a hard-riding Batchelor as the two riders tussled for position. Nicholls eventually prevailed, but was pushed hard throughout by the Aussie who flirted with a fast line on bend two, but was unable to pass the Brit out front. After his win first time out, McGowan will have been disappointed not to have stamped his authority further as he trailed in at the rear. The resultant 7-2 in the Eagles' favour slashed the Swindon lead to a significantly reduced 5 points, at 19-14.

A first bend fall for Kennett in heat six resulted in an exclusion for the British youngster, who picked up a handful grip and clattered into the air safety barrier. The re-run saw the Robins pairing of Wright and Adams romp to a comprehensive victory, as they phased out Gustafsson on the first corner and registered a quick time. The resultant 5-1 bolstered the Swindon lead to 9 points.

An outstanding ride from Korneliussen in heat seven further emphasised the Dane's array of talents, as he brilliantly passed both Eastbourne riders on the home straight of lap one. Lee Richardson dived underneath Korneliussen on the back straight, but the flamboyant Dane struck back with a blast around bends three and four to grab the lead once again. From that point on, Korneliussen stretched his legs and played with the useful dirt line beginning to form around Blunsdon's wider lines.

Heat eight proved to be another good one for the Robins, as the youthful duo of Alden and Wright sped away from the tapes to gain a comprehensive 5-1 advantage.

A further heat advantage ensued as the Queensland Firebrand, Batchelor, again rode to an impressive victory, comfortably keeping Kennett at bay.

More brilliant riding followed in heat ten, as Adams and Wright breezed past the Eastbourne duo to move Swindon's points tally along to a whopping 41. Particularly impressive was Wright, who engineered a wonderful bend two pass of Richardson and from that point on remained composed.

A confusing initial start to heat eleven eventually saw all four riders recalled for a re-start and it was Korneliussen who made the best of the re-run. However, the Dane was out-foxed by an intelligent second bend from Nicholls, who executed a text-book cut-back to gain victory.

Batchelor coaxed out the legendary Blunsdon roar with a phenomenal race twelve that saw the youngster hunt down and then pass Richardson on the back straight of the final lap. It was a super ride from the young Australian, who celebrated in typically bullish style much to the delight of the Swindon crowd.

Nicholls showed a clean and very fast pair of heels in heat thirteen, as he rode with great speed to lower the colours of the previously unbeaten Adams. Victory for the British rider meant a share of the spoils, before Eastbourne collected their first 5-1 of the evening through the pairing of Gustafsson and Woodward. The Eagles' advantage cut the Swindon lead to 15 points going into the final race of the night.

A perfect nominated heat brought the meeting to a conclusion, with Swindon's Australian duo of Adams and Batchelor further emphasizing that youth and experience is a recipe for success as they collected a 5-1 advantage.

SWINDON
Leigh Adams (C) 3 2* 3 2 3 - - 13 (1)
James Wright 1 3 2* 2* - - - 8 (2)
Troy Batchelor 2* 2 3 3 2* - - 12 (2)
Travis McGowan 3 0 1 0 - - - 4
Mads Korneliussen 2 3 2 1* - - - 8 (1)
Cory Gathercole 2* 0 0 1 - - - 3 (1)
Seb Alden 3 1* 3 1 - - - 8 (1)

EASTBOURNE
Scott Nicholls 2 6 3 3 1 - - 15
Lewis Bridger 0 1 R 1 - - - 2
Lee Richardson (C) R 2 1 2 - - - 5
Cameron Woodward 1 1* 0 2* 0 - - 4 (2)
Edward Kennett 3 X 2 0 - - - 5
Simon Gustafsson 1 1 1 0 3 - - 6
Andrew Bargh 0 0 R - - - - 0