SGB Premiership
Swindon Robins 52
Wolverhampton 40
SWINDON are confirmed as table-toppers in the 2017 SGB Premiership season with a convincing 52-40 win over the second-placed Wolverhampton side. But it was nearly a different tale as the Robins took their 17th successive victory, said Phil Rice.

World championship leader Jason Doyle, despite leaving his Norwich home earlier than usual, was stuck in an M11 traffic jam for hours following a fatal crash, and at one time it looked as if the Australian might not reach the track until well into this vital meeting.

Thanks to the co-operation of the Wolves management and the referee a delay was agreed and Doyle somehow arrived only four minutes after the scheduled start time.

It made little difference as the Robins fired in an easy 5-1 heat one win with Adam Ellis heading home the subsequently unbeaten Doyle, leaving the strong Freddie Lindgren/Stevie Worrall pairing trailing.

Four shared heats followed in which Swindon's stand-in reserve Tero Aarnio won heat two and Tobiaz Musielak literally elbowed Worrall out of the way down the straight in race five for the first of his three heat wins.

But David Bellego had an engine failure and a last place in his early rides.

Three 4-2s put the Robins 36-24 up after 10 races before Lindgren donned the black and white helmet cover for double points. Surprisingly Aarnio led the Swede for more than half the race before spluttering to a halt and then Nick Morris, made up tremendous ground to overtake Lindgren down the back straight on lap four as Wolves could claim only a 5-3 race win.

It was not to be Wolverhampton’s night as the victory was secured in heat 13 with Doyle and Morris taking a 5-1 with the unfortunate Sam Masters pulling out for the second time when leading.

Finishing top means that Swindon get first pick of opponents in the play-off semi-finals alongside Wolverhampton and Belle Vue with fourth place still to be decided.

SWINDON: Nick Morris 12+1, Jason Doyle 11+1, Tobiasz Musielak 10, Adam Ellis 8, Tero Aarnio 5+1, David Bellego 4, Alfie Bowtell 2+1.

WOLVERHAMPTON : Freddie Lindgren 10+1, Jacob Thorssell 9+1, Sam Masters 8, Steve Worrall 7+1, Mark Riss 4+2, Nathan Greaves 2, Rory Schlein r/r.