SGB Premiership
Swindon Robins 46
Wolverhampton 45
RAIN around the Swindon area and beyond meant many fans missed this gripping Premiership match that the Robins hung on to take by just a point.

The home management and many supporters must have hoped that the rain would have flooded Blunsdon as the Robins had to take on the high-flying Wolverhampton side without top two Jason Doyle and Nick Morris.

Doyle has sat out league matches since his recent injury in Torun while Morris was briefly unconscious following a fall at Peterborough and thus missed the fixture under the sport’s nine-day rule.

Dany Gappmaier was then ill meaning the side were able to use rider replacement for his rides while former Robin Troy Batchelor and Brady Kurtz guested for Doyle and Morris.

The match hinged on heat 14. With Swindon five points up it was key that visiting reserve Nathan Greaves was kept in last place by Bradley Wilson-Dean and Adam Ellis. It did not work like that at all!

After repeated false starts Greaves flew the tapes with his team-mate Jacob Thorssell. Ellis got past Greaves on turn three of lap two with Wilson-Dean coming hard under Greaves, who came off.

Tough riding no doubt but most felt that Greaves was frightened off. However a furious Wilson-Dean was excluded from the rerun which saw Thorssell take the win with Ellis in second, while Greaves fell again only to remount and claim the point.

On to the final race in which Swindon needed a second place to claim the overall win.

Batchelor, apparently inspirational in the dressing rooms before the meeting, came out with skipper-for-the-night David Bellego – made a full Swindon asset before the meeting – against Freddie Lindgren and Thorssell.

Batchelor trapped first on a track greasy with rain but was passed on lap two by Thorssell. Batch did enough to keep second and Swindon took a narrow 46-45 victory.

There were numerous highlights throughout the night. Zach Wajtknecht continues to impress and he and Wilson-Dean were able to claim the scalps of 2016 British champion Danny King and Sam Masters, the current Australian champion.

Wilson-Dean had two lasts then two unbeaten rides before his disqualification Bellego and Batchelor enjoyed three race wins apiece.

Wolves were eight points down after four races, got it back to 20-22 before the Robins slammed in two successive 5-1s to take control again.

Swindon boss Alun Rossiter said: “I’m shocked to be honest. I never saw that coming with the team that Wolverhampton put out, and all I can say is full credit to our six boys.

"Everyone did their bit, Troy did a brilliant job and also a word for Zach who has been fantastic. He’s getting more and more confidence every week. He's getting more aggressive and I’m really pleased with him. The two 5-1s in the middle were really important, and I’d also like to think Troy has paid a bit back to the people who have knocked him in the past.”

SWINDON 46: Troy Batchelor 11, Adam Ellis 10+1, David Bellego 10, Zach Wajtknecht 5+3, Bradley Wilson-Dean 5+1, Brady Kurtz 5, Dany Gappmaier r/r.

WOLVERHAMPTON 45: Jacob Thorssell 12+1, Freddie Lindgren 10, Rory Schlein 8, Paul Starke 5+2, Sam Masters 5+1, Danny King 4+1, Nathan Greaves 1