Robins go out with a bang (From Swindon Advertiser)

Robins go out with a bang

8:16am Friday 20th June 2008 in Sport By Gareth Moorhouse

ROBINS crashed out of the Knockout Cup at the hands of rivals Poole Pirates last night - but the Blunsdon boys didn't go down without an almighty fight.

Trailing 53-40 after the first leg at Wimborne Road, Swindon looked down and out when the second leg was locked at 33-33 after 11 heats.

But last season's beaten finalists came roaring back to life, with consecutive 5-1 maximums in heats 12 and 13 reducing the aggregate arrears to just five points.

And it went down to a final heat decider, with skipper Leigh Adams and Mads Korneliussen needing another maximum to seal a thrilling comeback win.

Adams led from tapes to flag but Korneliussen could not find a way past Pirates' Chris Holder and Bjarne Pedersen, as Poole clung on for a nail-biting 93-90 triumph.

Robins boss Alun Rossiter was full of praise for his battlers, but conceded the "nightmare" first leg in Dorset had left his side with too much to do.

Rosco said: "It was a great effort from the boys, but the damage had already been done.

"It was a two and a half man team at Poole on Wednesday, and a six-man team tonight.

"We didn't start too well, Poole kept it close early on, and then we came alive.

"The boys stuck in there right to the end, but I still maintain the big problem was at Poole. We should have been a lot closer down there and it was a poor display, simple as that."

Despite his disappointment, Rosco reserved special praise for man-of-the-match James Wright, who scored 14 points from seven rides as Swindon used the rider replacement as cover for the injured Troy Batchelor.

"James did very well. You really couldn't knock him," said Rosco.

"To ride three on the trot, by the end he could hardly hold onto the bike he was that tired.

"But he just kept going and that shows the spirit of this Swindon team.

"Unfortunately we had just left ourselves with too much to do."