Robins win tainted by ref decisions, says Korneliussen

8:00am Friday 3rd September 2010

By Ned Payne

MADS Korneliussen slammed referee Chris Durno after he made two controversial late decisions in Swindon's 48-45 win at home to Wolverhampton last night.

Korneliussen was angry that Durno did not exclude Wolves' Tai Woffinden from heat 14 following Maciej Janowski's crash, and then ruled out Leigh Adams after he clipped Woffinden in a similar incident in the final race.

Despite losing Freddie Lindgren and Ty Proctor to injury midway through the meeting, the visitors made up 15 points in the final four races as they stopped Swindon taking all three Elite League points, and Korneliussen saw the events of the last two contests as key to that revival.

“It was sad that it ended like this and the referee spoiled the meeting,” said the Dane.

“Two things went against us when Maciej came off when Woffy ran him hard, and when Leigh did the same thing, Leigh got excluded. So I think they were two bad decisions from the ref.

“We had everything for us with Lindgren being out injured, it's sad it had to end like this but we've still got the win which is pretty cool.”

Korneliussen, who collected a paid nine haul, will not ride in tonight's meeting against Lakeside as he is taking part in a rearranged fixture with his Danish club.

In an even start last night, honours were shared in the first four outings. Adams won the opening heat in customary fashion and race two had a processional feel about it after Ludvig Lindgren gated.

There was a relatively straightforward triumph for Grzegorz Zengota despite early pressure from Woffinden in heat three, and an under-the-weather Simon Stead was completely untroubled by Nicolai Klindt next.

The meeting exploded into life in heat five as Freddie Lindgren flew into the air fence when he tried to find a way past Janowski, and Proctor piled into the back of him.

Adams and Korneliussen then clocked up a maximum against Klindt and Haines, although Woffinden took full advantage of Stead's modest start next.

The eight-point advantage became 10 after Korneliussen and Zengota took three points each in consecutive contests, and Adams and Korneliussen piled on the pressure as they notched up an impressive 5-1 against Woffinden and Adam Skornicki.

A further hammer blow was to follow for Wolves as Freddie Lindgren and Proctor were ruled out, and a Swindon win seemed to be heading towards a thrashing when Stead and Justin Sedgmen bagged a 5-1 against Ludvig Lindgren and Joe Haines, the replacements for the injured Wolves duo.

But the visitors got themselves right back in the hunt as tactical man Skornicki and Haines caight Zengota at a good moment, serving up an 8-1 maximum for the travelling support.

A chain break cruelly forced Adams out of heat 13 when him and Stead were heading for a 5-1, and after Janowski fell in the penultimate race, Woffinden took full advantage.

The home crowd were unimpressed after referee Durno excluded Adams from the final race, when the Robin skipper tried to squeeze through a gap that Woffinden had left and appeared to knock him off with his back wheel.

But regardless of the feelings of the Abbey Stadium faithful, the decision was made and Woffinden and Klindt were untroubled by Zengota in the re-run.