Swindon 53 Ipswich 40 

Robins notch a well-deserved 13-point victory against Ipswich

Swindon led throughout and were well-served by a terrific four-ride paid maximum [11+1] from Leigh Adams and further double-figure returns from Grzegorz Zengota [12] and Simon Stead [10+2].

The initial staging of the ensuing heat saw Morten Risager clatter through the tapes and opt to begin the re-run from a 15-metre handicap.

 

 

An eventful re-start followed, as the Ipswich duo held the ascendancy in the early stages, before a first bend mid-race fall for Kozza Smith saw the Aussie drop to the back. The Aussie’s team-mate, Dawid Stachyra, eventually registered victory and the resultant points-share maintained Swindon’s 2-point lead.

Maciek Janowski made his long-awaited Robins’ debut in race three and whilst the Pole was in the mix during the early stages, an innocuous fall on the third bend of lap one prematurely curtailed his charge. Meanwhile, Janowski’s compatriot, Zengota, showed terrific speed out front and eased to a super-fast win.

 

Heat five saw Swindon’s Polish pairing combine, as Zengota and Janowski notched a 4-2 race advantage. Zengota looked mega-fast up front as he out-paced Nicholls, whilst Janowski scored his first point in Swindon colours by inflicting defeat on his compatriot, Chris S³aboñ.

Swindon’s 6-point lead was subsequently extended by a textbook 5-1 from Adams and Korneliussen in the sixth heat.

 
Ipswich’s Daniel King was nominated for a tactical ride in the seventh, but a fall for the Witches’ captain in the opening stages saw him disqualified. Stead and Cory Gathercole registered a 4-2 in the re-run to further extend Swindon’s advantage.

 

 
Another Robins’ 4-2 ensued in the eighth, before Ipswich hit back with a 5-1 in heat nine. The potent pairing of Adams and Korneliussen re-bolstered Swindon’s lead with a 5-1 of their own in heat ten. The initial staging of the race had seen Ipswich’s King again disqualified for a heavy first-lap, third bend fall whilst tussling with Korneliussen.

 
Nominated for a tactical ride, Nicholls superbly combined with Stachyra to card a well-worked 8-1 in race eleven. Ipswich’s double-points success saw the visiting side narrow Swindon’s lead to 7 points.

 
Zengota submitted a powerful heat twelve performance to notch victory, as Risager’s third place finish provided Swindon with a 4-2 race win.

 

 
The Robins’ big two of Adams and Stead eased to a comfortable tapes-to-flag ‘fiver’ in heat thirteen, before a share of the points in an awarded penultimate encounter maintained Swindon’s advantage.

 
Ipswich’s Nicholls rode with aplomb to gain victory in the concluding race and repelled a late charge from the tenacious Zengota.

 

photos by Ian Lewis