Knockout Cup semi-final 1st leg
Swindon Robins 50
Belle Vue Aces 39
SWINDON Robins won their first leg Knockout Cup semi-final against Belle Vue by 11 points but the return next Friday in Manchester will be tough as the league’s number one scorer Jason Doyle will be absent in Stockholm hoping to build on his 10-point lead in the world championship series.

Belle Vue were dealt a blow ahead of the meeting as British champion and almost certain 2018 GP rider Craig Cook was taken ill earlier in the day, leaving the Aces to operate rider replacement.

It turned out to be a frustrating night for fans and riders with too many home starting offences and falls with the result that the racing ended just after 10.30pm.

The home side opened with two 5-1s but the Aces lost reserve Jack Smith with a bad finger injury and as the track doctor had to give him morphine he was duty bound to escort the young Brit, son of three-time British champion Andy Smith, to hospital.

But an accident on the nearby A419 delayed his return to the track until 9.15pm, leaving a cold crowd and riders hanging about for some 80 minutes.

The Robins may have had luck going their way but Tobiasz Musielak still had nightmare night for the hosts.

Twice warned for starting infringements in heat three, he was excluded allowing the Aces to take a 4-2 heat win.

Musielak picked up his only points in heat five before another warning preceded his race-nine fall. It was a very upset young Pole who declined to take his place in his final race.

His partnership with David Bellego is no longer the dream one it looked some weeks ago.

With the vital SGB Premiership play-off second leg at Blunsdon on Monday, September 25 perhaps manager Alun Rossiter may need to look at changing the team round a bit.

Thanks to four wins by Max Fricke and a better-than-usual Abbey contribution from Kenneth Bjerre, Belle Vue gradually reduced the deficit to five before Doyle and Nick Morris picked up a 4-2 in heat 13. Then Bellego and the returning Bradley Wilson-Dean claimed a maximum race win.

The nominated 15th race was shared as Fricke beat Doyle for the second time in the meeting, leaving Swindon 50-39 winners.

Adam Ellis had another strong night with a paid 10 and Wilson-Dean, a faller with Smith in race two, claimed a painful 6+2. Bellego had two late wins but Doyle and Morris, while scoring well, were not entirely convincing.

Doyle with limited league commitments remaining in Sweden can hopefully get some rest shortly to enable him to concentrate on the world championship win so cruelly taken off him following a blameless fall in Torun last year.

His form in the leagues of late has been a bit below his brilliant best and who can blame him after 26 meetings in 30 days.

Rossiter said: “Belle Vue had a lot of bad luck, and the injury to Jack was quite gruesome with the bone sticking out of the finger, so it wasn’t good and we wish him well.

"Tobiasz had one of those nights, races were being stopped and then he got caught out by his own partner, but hopefully we can move on from it, and Bradley is a bit battered and bruised again but he should be okay.”

Swindon defend their slim two-point lead against Poole on Monday week in the play off semi final second leg with adult admission reduced to £10. The day before a behind-closed-doors practise is being held.

SWINDON 50: Jason Doyle 11+1, Nick Morris 10, David Bellego 9+1, Adam Ellis 7+3, Bradley Wilson-Dean 6+2, Liam Carr 5, Tobiasz Musielak 2.

BELLE VUE 39: Max Fricke 16+1, Kenneth Bjerre 11, Rohan Tungate 7, Steve Worrall 3+1, Jye Etheridge 2, Jack Smith 0, Craig Cook r/r.