SWINDON missed out on a superb victory at Wolverhampton after the league leaders pulled off a dramatic last-heat win at Monmore Green.

The Robins led following heat 11 through to the start of heat 15, but a 5-1 maximum from guest Peter Karlsson and Tai Woffinden in the final showdown gave the West Midlands side a 46-44 triumph.

Swindon knew they had the chance to displace their rivals at the summit of the Elite League prior to a wheel being turned.

While the absence of home number one Freddie Lindgren appeared a boost, the inclusion of Lakeside’s former Monmore favourite Karlsson was a coup the home faithful would have been more than happy with.

Nevertheless, Swindon were heading into the meeting bang in form and with notable wins against Belle Vue, Wolverhampton and Lakeside under their belt prior to the Speedway World Cup, confidence was high.

Nick Morris got the Robins off to a flying start when he won the race to the first bend in heat one and was never troubled by Karlsson, and although Hans Andersen was squeezed out initially, he passed Ricky Wells on the inside a lap later.

The battle of the reserves saw Ludvig Lindgren gate off the inside and he never looked back, with Jacob Thorssell ensuring the maximum by firing round Ashley Birks on bend four.

Unperturbed by his zero in the night’s opener, Wells might have failed to make the gate in heat three but he rocketed past both Edward Kennett and Peter Kildemand on the back straight and held his form.

Kildemand did his best to battle back and was right up with the home rider come the final corner, but Wells shut the door on the inside to the obvious annoyance of the Dane.

Next up Woffinden and Swindon reserve Howarth exchanged third place a number of times only for the latter to prevail and make it a 4-2 heat advantage courtesy of Thorssell’s win.

Andersen was in no mood to mess about in his second ride after having to battle from the back in heat one. This time he did exactly the opposite, making a jet-propelled start off gate four and forcing his way across the other riders to win with ease from Adam Skornicki.

World Cup bronze medallist Troy Batchelor had a mighty good go at taking three points in heat six but the crafty Karlsson was on his rear wheel all the way, using all his Monmore track knowledge to eventually slip past on bend two of lap four.

The hosts clearly had their tails up and were on a 5-1 with heat seven under way. Kildemand was somewhat fortunate to force his way into second when Lindgren made an error exiting bend two on the final lap, allowing the Dane through which meant Swindon escaped with only a 4-2 deficit.

The first drawn heat of the night arrived in race eight, with the charging Morris emerging first from a tight first bend, but Howarth could not emulate his teammate.

The Robins new boy was already on two last places heading in and although he gave a valiant effort to catch Skornicki, running wide on lap two cost him a point.

Three last places in a row was not what the visitors wanted in six, seven and eight but they remedied this in nine in emphatic fashion, with Birks and Batchelor doing a workmanlike blocking job on Skornicki and the fading Wells, to bring themselves within four points of the home side.

The Robins got a healthy dose of good fortune as Karlsson was excluded with the race two bends old, with both the Hammers rider and Lindgren hitting the deck. Kildemand and Kennett cruised home in the re-run and suddenly the scores were level at 30-30.

Swindon then took the lead for the first time since heat one with a 4-2, but it could have been even better, as Andersen led Morris but the latter slid well wide in the final bend and Woffinden gleefully cruised through for second place.

Amazingly, the visitors then saw another 5-1 slip through their fingers. The second-placed Birks lifted hugely and came off the back of his seat, and while thankfully he got straight up, a 5-1 had swiftly become a 3-3 with Kildemand uncatchable out front.

Andersen did his bit to haul in Woffinden in heat 13, but Karlsson edged out Batchelor at the back to ensure the hosts were just two points down heading into the penultimate race.

Kennett gave his best ride of the night in 14 but Birks’ hard luck story continued as he retired when at the back, setting up a final-heat nail-biter.

Karlsson produced a vintage start to the delight of the home supporters and Woffinden profited from Andersen’s lift put on bend two to charge past and ensure Wolverhampton got their win, with Swindon taking a losing point back to Wiltshire.