Swindon 44 Lakeside 46 

The Robins' fail to win the first leg of the semi-final knock-out cup

Despite Leigh Adams' 109th career maximum (51 full and 58 paid) for Swindon in all competitions, it was Lakeside who edged a narrow 46-44 victory in the first leg of the Knock-Out Cup semi-final at Blunsdon. 

Swindon suffered their first home defeat of the 2009 season against a Lakeside septet that showed impressive strength in depth.

Club number eight Richard Sweetman deputised for the unavailable Matej Zagar and the Slovenian's absence left the Robins' heat leader department under strength.

The Swindon scorecard was headed by Leigh Adams who notched an immaculate full fifteen point maximum, Elsewhere, Simon Stead notched eight points from his five ride schedule whilst Cory Gathercole's eye catching run of form continued with a paid ten haul.
Lakeside were well served by double figure hauls from both Adam Shields and Jonas Davidsson.

The Hammers' middle order duo excelled throughout and were the backbone of Lakeside's success.

Requiring a 5-1 to draw the meeting, an exciting climax followed in heat fifteen as the Swindon combination of Leigh Adams and Simon Stead hit the front. Lakeside's Adam Shields chased Stead throughout and forged a route past the Brit on the back straight of the final lap.

  
The resultant 4-2 in Swindon's favour cut Lakeside's margin of victory to two points and left the Robins requiring a win at the Hammers' Purfleet raceway on Friday evening.

SWINDON
Leigh Adams (C) 3 3 3 3 3 - - 15
Richard Sweetman 0 2* 0 0 - - - 2 (1)
Simon Stead 0 3 2 2 1 - - 8
Travis McGowan 1 1 1* 2 - - - 5 (1)
Jurica Pavlic 3 1 2 0 - - - 6
Paul Hurry 2 0 R - - - - 2
Cory Gathercole 1* 2* 1 1* 1* - - 6 (4)
 

Team manager: Alun Rossiter

 
LAKESIDE
Lee Richardson 1* R 3 2 - - - 6 (1)
Joonas Kylmakorpi 2 2 3 1 - - - 8
Adam Shields (C) 2* 3 1* 3 2 - - 11 (2)
Jonas Davidsson 3 2* 2 3 0 - - 10 (1)
Kauko Nieminen 1 0 3 1* - - - 5 (1)
Phil Morris 3 1 2* 0 - - - 6 (1)
Stuart Robson 0 R 0 0 - - - 0

 
Team manager: Jon Cook

 
Referee: Mick Posselwhite

 
Ht 1: Adams, Kylmakorpi, Richardson, Sweetman, 65.92 (3-3)
Ht 2: (Re-Run) Morris, Hurry, Gathercole, Robson, 68.18 (6-6)
Ht 3: Davidsson, Shields, McGowan, Stead, 66.99 (7-11)
Ht 4: Pavlic, Gathercole, Nieminen, Robson (ret), 67.18 (12-12)
Ht 5: Stead, Kylmakorpi, McGowan, Richardson (ret), 66.17 (16-14)
Ht 6: Adams, Sweetman, Morris, Nieminen, 67.33 (21-15)
Ht 7: Shields, Davidsson, Pavlic, Hurry, 67.37 (22-20)
Ht 8: Kylmakorpi, Morris, Gathercole, Sweetman, 68.30 (23-25)
Ht 9: Nieminen, Stead, McGowan, Robson, 67.61 (26-28)
Ht 10: Adams, Davidsson, Shields, Sweetman, 67.33 (29-31)
Ht 11: Richardson, Pavlic, Kylmakorpi, Hurry (ret), 66.90 (31-35)
Ht 12: (Re-Run) Shields, Stead, Gathercole, Morris, 67.52 (34-38)
Ht 13: Adams, Richardson, Nieminen, Pavlic, 67.36 (37-41)
Ht 14: Davidsson, McGowan, Gathercole, Robson, 68.11 (40-44)
Ht 15: (Nominated) Adams (b), Shields (g), Stead (r), Davidsson (y), 67.58 (44-46)

Programme changes:
Ht 8: Morris replaced Robson; Ht 9: Robson replaced Morris; Ht 14: Gathercole replaced Hurry.

 

photos by Ian Lewis