SWINDON Robins chief Alun Rossiter says his side sent out an ominous message to the other sides flying high in the Elite League as they crushed play-off rivals Coventry Bees tonight.

The Robins swanned to a dominant 60-31 victory at the Abbey Stadium to all but confirm their place in the top four, with just one meeting of the regular season remaining for Rossiter’s men.

Swindon were unrelenting in their pursuit of all three points, leaving their team boss purring and in no doubt that his men will be in the mix for a shot at the Elite League title later this month.

“It’s a massive statement. Our feet are firmly on the ground but it’s a massive statement,” said Rossiter.

“I don’t think anybody will want to be picking us in the play-offs.

“It was pretty emphatic – it was as simple as that really.

“The boys showed us what they’re really capable of and I’ve said this all along about this team but it’s coming to fruition now.

“We’ve always started like trains and faded badly come the play-offs but it seems to be the other way around at the moment.

“I always said we’d make the play-offs and I can’t see anything changing now.”

The Robins flexed their muscles in the opening heat, with Peter Kildemand and Nick Morris getting the home side off to the perfect start with a scorching 5-1.

Former Swindon captain Hans Anderson and teammate Kyle Howarth looked a league behind the Robins duo as they cruised into an unassailable lead before bringing the maximum home, to the delight of the Abbey Stadium crowd.

Despite a re-run following a false start, Steve Worrall gated twice in heat two before bringing home an assured victory, but Nathan Greaves couldn’t get the better of James Sarjeant or Jason Garrity as the two sides shared the spoils.

But Swindon had the bit between their teeth early on and captain Batchelor sensed that heat three was an opportunity to thrust his team back into the ascendancy.

Gustafsson calmly led from the front while Batchelor was fourth after the gate but the Aussie confidently chased down Max Fricke before ruthlessly passing Chris Harris on the penultimate lap to notch up another 5-1.

Dakota North notched up a win on his first outing in heat four but Lady Luck wasn’t smiling on Greaves, who appeared to have held off the challenge of Sarjeant, despite a few hairy moments, but eventually succumbed and crossed the line fourth.

Batchelor and Peter Kildemand once again reiterated their credentials as Swindon’s dynamic duo in five, looking almost unflustered as they cruised home with a healthy lead to rack up another maximum.

Chris Harris was handed the task of getting the Bees back into the meeting with the tactical ride in heat six but had the door slammed shut in his face by Gustafsson and North.

Harris led from the first bend but Gustafsson expertly drifted into the lead before North superbly passed to heap more misery on the visitors with another 5-1.

Swindon smelt blood and their relentless march showed no signs of abating in the next as Morris and Worrall made it three 5-1 scores on the spin.

Morris was in control from the start but Worrall showed supreme confidence to blaze down the straight to ensure that he backed up his teammate.

The Bees finally stirred into life in eight and notched up their first heat win but Gustafsson and North ensured that they failed to make a dent in the home team’s lead.

Gustafsson appeared to have eked out an early advantage but Fricke eased into the lead coming out of the second bend to take the win.

Worrall notched up a dominant victory in heat nine, blazing ahead of the pack, but despite early promise, Greaves again crossed the line last.

The Bees’ second lifeline came in the tenth, Fricke this time handed the black and white helmet, but the unwavering Morris was peerless as he tore up the competition.

Kildemand was on Fricke’s heels throughout but just couldn’t find a gap as the Dane was forced to settle for third-place ahead of Harris.

Former Robins favourite Andersen finally showed his class in heat 11 as he got the better of Batchelor and Kildemand but another drawn round saw Coventry once again fail to make a dent in Swindon’s lead.

That lead continued to grow in the next, Morris showing no remorse as he forced Sarjeant to eat his dust on the second running, which came after the Bees’ Howarth suffered a collision with the barriers.

Andersen provided some late fight for the wounded visitors in the 13th, beating Kildemand and Batchelor in assured fashion, but the Robins bit back with another maximum in 14, Worrall showing great composure to hold off the challenge of Sarjeant and bring home second place behind North.

Morris was handed the chance to round off his evening in style in the final heat but careered into the wall after bumping shoulders with Andersen.

Following an unsatisfactory start, the Australian was forced to ride with a replacement wheel on his bike but showed that the wheels have far from come off the Robins’ play-off quest as he brought home a final maximum of the night alongside Batchelor.