7:58am Tuesday 22nd April 2008
By Steve Butt
ALUN Rossiter's Swindon Robins shrugged their relegation favourites' tag off in emphatic fashion last night as they stormed to the top of the Elite League.
A 51-42 victory at Belle Vue took Robins two points clear at the summit and had Rossiter urging his side's critics to sit up and take notice'.
Rossiter hailed his riders' team spirit after each Swindon man played their part in a sensational away victory.
Skipper Leigh Adams was as reliable as ever with a solid 10+1 from just four rides but it was the support the Australian got from his teammates which really impressed Rossiter.
Cory Gathercole pitched in with 9+1 while James Wright (9) and Troy Batchelor (8+1) enjoyed healthy points hauls. A fit-again Mads Korneliussen (6+1) proved his absence from last week's home draw with Ipswich was crucial while Travis McGowan scored a 6+1 and Seb Alden 2+1.
"We were in the lead from the first race and it just went on from there,"said Rossiter. "We never looked back after that.
"The starts were so important tonight. Our gating was tremendous.
"We have worked hard on the starts and talked about how important it is to get a good one.
"That was the difference.
"We knew it would be slick out there so we knew we had to get a good start and, if we could, we would win.
"But more than anything tonight was about the team.
"It was a real team effort, a real seven-rider win."
Robins got off to a fine start in heat one as Adams saw off Jason Crump to win.
However, it could have been a perfect start had James Wright held on to second place.
Gathercole gave Robins their second win of the night in heat two but Michal Rajkowski and Robert Ksiezak ensured the points were shared.
Another 3-3 followed in the next heat as McGowan won a good battle with Lukasz Jankowski before Robins' fourth win of the night arrived thanks to Korneliussen's fine ride in heat four giving Robins a four-point lead at 14-10.
Robins extended their lead thanks to a superb 5-1 in heat five - Wright making a great start, gating first while behind him Gjedde and Adams traded blows before the ex-Robins man was edged out by Swindon's number one.
Belle Vue got their first win of the night in heat six when Crump and Billy Forsberg team rode to earn a 5-1 for the hosts.
Normal service was resumed for Robins in heat seven as Batchelor and McGowan came home first and second ahead of a frustrated Joe Screen.
After a 3-3 in heat eight, Gathercole and Korneliussen made the most of Gjedde's spin in heat nine to wrap up another 5-1 and give Robins a 33-21 lead.
Belle Vue enjoyed a their second 5-1 of the night in heat 10 when Crump, taking a tactical ride for double points, came home with Forsberg in front of McGowan and Batchelor to close to within five points of Robins.
But a Robins 4-2 in heat 11, as Adams won with Wright in third, gave Robins a commanding seven-point lead.
Swindon stretched their advantage further in heat 12 as Batchelor beat Gjedde with Gathercole in third and, after the hosts clawed two points back in the next heat, McGowan and Gathercole secured another 5-1 to clinch victory.
"Cory was special tonight, Travis was special tonight," said Rossiter.
"I knew they would come good, added Rossiter. "We have worked hard as a team and it was always just a matter of time.
"Everyone has gelled so well and there is so much team spirit, the character in the camp is second to none. I am so pleased, not for me but for the lads, they deserve it because they are working so hard."
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