SGB Premiership

Leicester Lions 48

Swindon Robins 42

SWINDON claimed a consolation league point from their opening league match following Saturday’s 48-42 defeat in front of a packed crowd at Leicester.

The side suffered a surprise 5-1 reverse in the first race as Jason Doyle and debutant Kiwi Bradley Wilson-Dean struggled on a somewhat changed circuit, but a first top-flight win from 19-year-old Zach Wajtknecht, based at Saltford near Bath, who was guided home by Nick Morris, pulled the scores level after heat four.

After eight heats Leicester had opened up an eight-point lead but a pair of 4-2s in the closing stages, both with Morris taking the chequered flag, saw the Robins do enough to claim a single league point.

Doyle’s contribution of only one win in his five-race eight points was perhaps a bit surprising. But the real positive was Morris, Beginning his sixth season with the Blunsdon side, his form in early-season warm-up meetings had not been that bright. However, after four rides the Aussie was unbeaten by an opponent and only suffered his first reverse in heat 15 behind Kim Nilsson.

Team manager Alun Rossiter said: “If I’m honest, I felt we could win here tonight so I’m actually a little bit disappointed. We’ve come away from home and got ourselves a point on opening night and that can never be a bad thing.

“Nick was flying, David (Bellego) and Emil (Grondal) were solid and what a moment for young Zach winning his second ride as well.

“Having said that, I also won’t take anything away from Leicester; they rode well and Josh Bates in particular was on fire from reserve.”

Leicester’s side had looked weak but the last-minute introduction of British champion Danny King and Josh Auty has made the side stronger. Ironically both were missing on Saturday night and while guests Lasse Bjerre and Nicolai Klindt adequately filled their shoes, more would have been expected from former Robin Kacper Gomolski who had two falls before withdrawing from the meeting.

LEICESTER 48: Josh Bates 14+1, Lasse Bjerre 11, Kim Nilsson 10, Erik Riss 7+2, Nicolai Klindt 5+1, Kacper Gomolski 1, Danny Ayres 0.

SWINDON 42: Nick Morris 13+1, Jason Doyle 8+1, David Bellego 7, Emil Grondal 6+1, Zach Wajtknecht 4+1, Adam Ellis 3+3, Bradley Wilson-Dean 1.

The previous night Morris and Doyle teamed up in the Premiership Best Pairs at Somerset and with both having been number ones there, were perhaps favourites to win.

It was not to be as the pair went out at the semi-final stage to King’s Lynn’s Chris Holder and Robert Lambert who went on to win the meeting beating Wolverhampton’s Freddie Lindgren and Jacob Thorssell in the final.

On Thursday the home league season opens with the visit of Manchester’s Belle Vue.

The side is missing Matej Zagar this season but with the sad last-minute demise of Coventry, the Aces have brought in former GP rider Kenneth Bjerre and while Blunsdon is not the Dane’s favourite track, this will be a tough test for the Robins.

Back at Swindon will be Justin Sedgmen who will certainly have a point to prove as he felt he should have been retained from last season. He warmed up for the meeting with a perhaps surprising win in the Scottish Open Championship at his former track Edinburgh last Friday.

Hopefully the Blunsdon track, which has earned praise from the whole team, will be as good as it was for last week’s open practice.

Then on Saturday the side travel to Rye House, in Hoddesdon, Herts to face a side many think could win the league.

The Rockets are hardly a young side fielding over 30s Chris Harris, Scott Nicholls, Eddie Kennett, Scott Robson and Davey Watt.