8:25am Monday 14th April 2008
By Gareth Moorhouse
ALUN Rossiter is backing his out-of-sorts Aussie Travis McGowan to wake from his early-season slumber and help cast a spell over Ipswich Witches tonight.
Robins go head-to-head with their Suffolk hosts live on Sky Sports, and Rossiter knows the speedway world will be watching.
McGowan, pictured, above right) was well off the pace against Lakeside Hammers on Thursday, a heat win in 13 alongside Leigh Adams papering over the cracks of a disappointing display.
The 27-year-old has posted double figures just twice this season, against Coventry in the Elite Shield and Poole in the Craven Shield, but Rossiter is backing his man from Down Under to overcome his stuttering start.
"Travis will come good, I've got absolutely no doubts about that," Rosco told the Swindon Advertiser.
"He is as frustrated as anybody right now, but he knows what he can do. We will get him going.
"He needed that heat win against Lakeside for his own personal benefit.
"We know he's struggling but we're backing him, we're behind him and giving him all the encouragement he needs."
McGowan certainly has the pedigree to be a success in Swindon leathers - five Victoria State championships and three Australian under-21 titles will testify to that.
The former Reading Racer hails from the same Australian city as Swindon skipper Leigh Adams, and Rossiter hopes some of the Mildura magic will rub off on his number five at Ipswich this evening.
He said: "Ipswich is going to be tough, but with no bonus point this season we have to go all out for the win.
"It would be great to see Travis score some big points and hopefully that heat win on Thursday will do him some good.
"I'm really pleased with the way the team is shaping up this season.
"Batch (Troy Batchelor) is scratching up really well and Mads has been superb.
" I had confidence in this team from day one. It's really starting to show now."
Sheffield's Joel Parsons has been booked to fill the number six berth vacated by the injured Theo Pijper tonight.
Meanwhile, the Witches are waiting on the fitness of their no six rider Chris Schramm, who recently fractured a bone in his right foot.
Schramm was set to take a weekend fitness test to determine whether he will be fit to take his place in the side.
The Witches management have lined up Jason King as a guest replacement just in case, although Schramm declared on Friday his intention to ride after a practice run.
SATURDAY NIGHT'S RESULT Sky Sports Elite League: Eastbourne 53 (Lee Richardson 11+1) Wolverhampton 40 (Niels-Kristian Iversen 13+1) TONIGHT'S OTHER FIXTURES Sky Sports Elite League: Wolverhampton v Eastbourne 7.30 Craven Shield: Belle Vue v Coventry 7.30
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