TEAM manager Alun Rossiter praised the performance of his reserve riders as the Swindon Robins clinched the Charity Shield at the Abbey Stadium.

The Robins had trailed 48-42 after the opening leg at Belle Vue Aces on Monday night, but showed no sense of weakness as they claimed a 52-38 triumph in their first home meeting of the season, to win 94-86 on aggregate.

Zach Wajtknecht and birthday boy Mitchell Davey, who was making his home debut, drew praise from the Robins boss as the hosts produced a great performance to collect their first piece of silverware of the season.

Speaking after the meeting Rossiter said he always had the belief that his riders could overturn the deficit from Monday’s first leg in Manchester.

“I thought it would be a little bit closer, it was a little bit nip and tuck when the boys got excluded in heat 13,” he said.

“I have got to give special praise to the two reserves tonight, I think they gelled the team.

“Zach had a fantastic night and showed no signs of his injury that ruled him out last year. He did a great job in heat 14 to overtake Dan Bewley on the home straight to get third.

“I think the two boys are fired up because the press have labelled them as the weakest reserves in the league.

“It wasn’t me who picked it up, it was Mitchell and I said to him there is only one way to prove them wrong.

“He had a cracking meeting in Belle Vue and a fantastic night at the Abbey.

“I’m really happy with how Zach has come back from his injury and I think he will only get better.”

The meeting got off to a stalled start as Adam Ellis fell on the opening bend in the opening heat, however, he and Nick Morris were both involved in the re-run.

Morris did well to cut across and get in front of Steve Worrall to claim second, while Ellis is forced to retire as the visitors took an early lead.

Next up was youngster Wajtknecht and Australian Davey, both of whom make a superb start before Dan Bewley and Jye Etheridge collided and subsequently cause a restart.

Etheridge was disqualified and Bewley was forced to start with a 15-metre handicap as the Robins registered a routine 5-1

In the third Troy Batchelor made a flying start to lead from the outset, but didn’t receive much support from David Bellego who trailed at the back of the queue to make it 10-8 on the night.

Polish rider Tobiasz Musielak repeated the feat in the fourth, this time Davey doing well to hold off Max Fricke as the Robins hit another 5-1 to level up the aggregate score.

Belle Vue hit back in the fifth as they got their noses in front on aggregate courtesy of Cook’s heat win, as well as Worrall’s third place as Bellego settled for second.

In the sixth, Ellis and Morris combined well to claimed second and third place but lost out to Fricke who took a heat win.

A red flag delayed the start of heat seven as Damian Drozdz hits the barrier after the second bend.

The three-man re-run saw Tungate come in from gate four to lead on the first bend. Musielak chased but had no success as Wajtknecht came in at the back of the queue.

The next three heats saw Swindon hit top form as they recorded three maximums to take the score to 38-21 in the 10th heat.

With four left to ride, and the Robins full of confidence, Musielak looked to have lost control on the opening bend of the 11th but recovered well to defeat Aces’ duo Cook and Worrall

The visitors hit back in the 12 and 13th heats. The 12th saw Belle Vue take a 4-2 heat win via Bewley and Etheridge as Batchelor repaired some of the damage to record second place.

A heat later. Musielak was punished for the second time on the night and as a result, he was made to start from a 15 metre handicap.

Aussie Davey, who was celebrating his 28th birthday, came in as Morris missed the two-minute warning and had managed to sneak into second but could do little about a late surge from Cook as he slipped back into third to make it 44-34 to the Robins overall.

However, Rossiter’s riders came good in the 14th as Bellego and Wajtknecht took first and third to seal a 4-2 win and claim the title.

In the final heat, the flying Frenchman with a heat win as Morris trailed in third spot.

SWINDON 52: Morris 7+1, Ellis 7+1, Batchelor 8, Bellego 10+1, Musielak 8, Wajtknecht 5+1, Davey 7+3.

BELLE VUE 38: Cook 9+2, Worrall 5, Drozdz 1+1, Tungate 8, Fricke 9, Etheridge 2, Bewley 4.