SGB Premiership
Rye House Rockets 46
Swindon Robins 29
SWINDON Robins' 17-match winning run came to an end as the side went down 46-29 in a rain-shortened meeting at Rye House on Friday.

In many ways this was a meaningless match for the side with top spot already secured.

Fired-up Rye House had the chance of a play-off place themselves but Poole’s narrow win at Somerset gave the Pirates the final place.

It was a tough night for Alun Rossiter’s side, who claimed just three race wins.

The Robins were already without injured reserves Bradley Wilson-Dean and Zach Wajtknecht, plus David Bellego was struggling and Adam Ellis on Under-21 World Team Cup duty.

With rider-replacement covering for Ellis’s absence and two guests (Tero Aarnio and George Hunter) on board, it was always going to be difficult especially as Rye House fielded former Grand Prix star Krzysztof Kasprzak, who was not in the line-up when Swindon won by 16 points early in August.

Yet Rossiter insists they will pick themselves up and respond with the all-important play-offs on the horizon.

Said Rossiter: “We’re disappointed, but realistically we only had half a team and it was always going to be tough.

"Full credit to Rye House, they were the better team and deserved their victory so we can’t have any complaints.

"Obviously it’s a bit of a worry that David (Bellego) is struggling with his engines at the moment, and we need to get him going again."

RYE HOUSE: Ricky Wells 9+1, Krzysztof Kasprzak 8+1, Ben Barker 8, Scott Nicholls 8, Chris Harris 6+2, Stuart Robson 4+2, Ben Morley 4.

SWINDON: Nick Morris 9, Tobiasz Musielak 7+2, Jason Doyle 7, Tero Aarnio 6, David Bellego 0 George Hunter 0, Adam Ellis r/r.

Abandoned after 12 heats – result stands.