SWINDON ROBINS edged a superb 46-43 victory over Poole in a tense affair at the Abbey.

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Swindon Robins 46

Poole Pirates 43

The Robins put in a gutsy display to come out on top against a powerhouse Pirates side.

Although they narrowly missed out on all three points, it was a hugely impressive victory for Alun Rossiter's men as they bounced back from a slow start.

The Robins have now beaten the runaway league leaders and the thrid-placed side in successive home fixtures and Rossiter was delighted by the result.

He said: "It would have been nice to get all three points but I was happy just to take the win really.

"Poole are a good side around here and they have plenty of strength all the way through, so it was a good performance from us to just come out on top."

Skipper Troy Batchelor led by example with a hard-fought 12-point haul, while Simon Gustafsson continued his good form to record three race wins on his way to double figures.

Reserve Steve Worrrall once again impressed and Dakota North also enjoyed a good night, with the pair combining for a crucial 5-1 in Heat 12 to give Swindon some breathing space entering the closing stages.

Despite both experiencing difficult evenings, heat-leaders Peter Kildemand and Nick Morris made useful contributions to help Swindon edge victory.

Swindon: Troy Batchelor 12, Simon Gustafsson 11, Steve Worrall 8+2, Dakota North 7+1, Peter Kildemand 5+1, Nick Morris 3+1, Nathan Greaves 0.

Poole: Darcy Ward 12, Maciej Janowski 8+1, Kyle Newman 7, Josh Grajczonek 5, Przemyslaw Pawlicki 4, Vaclav Milik 4, Brendan Johnson 3+2.