WHO would have thought in April that the Swindon Robins would make the Elite League play-offs.

Two of our four home meetings were lost including a 10-point drubbing by Coventry.

The following month the gloom descended quite literally with Robins fans enduring the postponement of three home fixtures while there was also one mid-meeting abandonment due to wet and miserable conditions.

Having already lost fast-track reserve Darryl Ritchings to a season-ending injury, manager Alun Rossiter dropped popular Dane Nicholas Klindt and brought in Australian Dakota North who had been riding only in Poland.

It hardly seemed a significant change but Rosco must have known something because Dak was soon banging in the points.

The Robins started to string together victories in their rearranged home matches and a top-four place began to look a possibility.

Eastbourne and Lakeside, both without recognised big-hitters, were looking vulnerable and big home wins against league leaders King’s Lynn, Eastbourne and Lakeside gave the Abbey Stadium fans a confident glow.

The play-off place was secured with a resounding 60-31 home win over the Coventry Bees, helped by Eastbourne’s failure to gain any match points at Brandon last Friday.

King’s Lynn Stars or Poole Pirates will top the league and the table toppers will get first pick in the play-off semi finals.

As we only lost at King's Lynn by a single point three weeks ago and they have since lost the league's top scorer Niels-Kristian Iverson for the season, perhaps they are beatable too.

Third-placed Coventry lost to us on their shale and now have injury doubts about Ben Barker, while Poole will not be helped by the suspension and likely ban for Darcy Ward over a failed alcohol test – although they did enjoy a surprisingly easy win at Coventry on Monday.

The Robins side has been a revelation at the Abbey on the much-improved home surface.

We have six recognised race winners and the rout of Coventry saw seven of the 15 heats won by second-string riders Nick Morris and Dakota North as well as the other fast track reserve Stevie Worrall – all aged 23 or under.

At the top of the team there is Peter Kildemand and Troy Batchelor – second and fourth respectively in last Saturday’s Scandinavian Grand Prix – and Swede Simon Gustafsson is normally good for a win or two at home.

Heading to the play-offs, the Robins are definitely the team to avoid.