ROBINS boss Alun Rossiter is hoping his middle order riders will make it a tough decision when he comes to swing the axe.

With the anticipated arrival of Darcy Ward to replace number one Adrian Miedzinski, one of Kyle Howarth or Gregorz Zengota will have to go as Swindon juggle their average cap.

It is not an ideal situation for team manager Rossiter, who will have to scrap one of his more reliable performers this season.

Howarth has more heat wins than the Pole, but Zengota has a better average courtesy of his ability to avoid finishing pointless in heats.

“We’ve got to make a decision on who stays, our options are very limited on what we can do,” said Rossiter. “Because of the situation we’ve got into with Adrian, we’ve got to make a change (at two or four), unfortunately somebody’s got to go.

“It’s not our fault, it’s just the fact we’ve got to make a couple of changes.

“I’d like to think it would fire up Howarth and Zengota and make my job even harder. It’s what I’m paid to do – make big decisions.

“Whatever happens it is going to be big decision and probably an unpopular one. Whatever way I go I’m going to be unpopular with some people and popular with others.”

Another decision Rossiter has to make is on his order for tonight’s meeting at the Abbey with Wolverhampton.

Hans Andersen, ever the popular guest for the Robins, offers them an option at one. However it seems as if Troy Batchelor will get the nod having taken on the role at Leicester.

“Troy wants to stay at one and I feel that he’s coming back now,” added Rossiter. “We had a problem last Thursday with his engine which carried on at Leicester.

“We seem to have found the problem, it was a carburetor problem in the end.

“Once he got his bike going he got eight points from it. Even in the Belle Vue match he was winning races, he’ll start coming back now I believe.

“I think he’s gone back through his bike now with a fine-tooth comb and got it all sorted.”

Tonight is the Robins' first home meeting since June 18, when they went down to Belle Vue Aces. The Elite League programme has been rather disjointed of late with Swindon racing just twice in the last month.

It is a cause of frustration for the Abbey chief and something he would like addressed next season.

“We were starting to get into a rhythm at one stage and now it’s all stopped,” said Rossiter. “It’s been a bit stop-start and that showed in our performance on Monday (at Leicester).

“It’s not been the best for continuity and something we need to address next year.”