FORMER captain Hans Andersen answered the Swindon Robins’ desperate call in their hour of need and helped a patched-up side claim their first victory of the season this evening.

Despite Alun Rossiter’s line-up including four guests, they battled their way to a close four-point victory over the Lakeside Hammers, inspired by 2012 title-winning skipper Andersen.

Hearts were in mouths in heat three as Nick Morris came tumbling off his bike, clipping fellow Robin Scott Nicholls along the way, and as he late prostrate on the floor, memories of Monday’s disastrous meeting against Poole were evoked.

But despite being disqualified, the Swindon stand-in skipper was soon back on his feet to trudge back to the pits.

Nicholls held the fort with victory in the re-run but the Hammers posted the first maximum of the evening in heat four, Edward Kennett and Steve Boxall bringing home the bacon to wipe out the hosts’ early advantage.

It was level pegging through the next three races before the pendulum swung the way of the Robins in heat number nine.

Grzegorz Zengota clinched a fine victory but the race belonged to guest Lewis Blackbird, who superbly supported his team-mate and held off the challenge of Kim Nilsson to help rack up a 5-1 for Swindon.

The Hammers hit straight back as Kennett and Boxall pitched up a 4-2 against Kyle Howarth and Tom Perry but as the heat-counter hit double-figures, the Robins eked out some breathing space.

Nicholls dovetailed superbly with Morris in heat ten, with the Swindon pair leaving Lakeside captian Andreas Jonsson and Kim Nilsson eating their dust as they scorched away to claim a maximum.

Former Robins captain Andersen continued to look like he’d never been away as his effortless victory in heat 11 took care of business whilst Howarth bravely battled his way past Richard Lawson to clinch third place and a heat victory for the home team.

But in 13 and 14, the Hammers roared back and set up a tense finale with two 4-2 wins in a row, Jonsson and Lawson getting the better of Andersen and Nicholls before Mikkel Bech and Kennett beat Morris and Zengota to claw the gap back to four points.

But Danish ace Andersen was on hand to ensure that there would be no late twist in the tale and after Jonsson and Bech gated well in the final heat and momentarily looked to have laid the foundation for a maximum, the former Robins skipper stormed past the Hammers duo and blazed a trial to his fourth victory of the evening and a narrow win for Swindon.

ROBINS: Hans Andersen (3-3-3-2-3) 14, Kyle Howarth (1-3-2-1) 7, Nick Morris (FX-1’-2’-2-0) 5+2, Grzegorz Zengota (1-2-3-0) 6, Scott Nicholls (3-0-3-0) 6, Tom Perry (1-0-0-0) 1, Lewis Blackbird (3-0-2’-3) 8+1.

HAMMERS: Andreas Jonsson (2-3-1-3-2) 11, Kim Nilsson (0-2-1-0) 3, Mikkel Bech (2-1’-2-3=1) 9+2, Edward Kennett (3-2-3-1) 9, Richard Lawson (1’-0-0-1) 2+1, Adam Ellis (0-1’-1’) 2+2, Steve Boxall (2-2’-0-1-2) 7+1.