MECHANICAL gremlins have opened the door for Swindon Robins as they return south with a six-point deficit to make up in the Charity Shield against Belle Vue Aces.

Rohan Tungate retired three times at the National Speedway Stadium in tonight’s first leg, allowing Alun Rossiter’s Robins to restrict the hosts to a 48-42 victory on home shale as the 2018 speedway season got under way.

British champion Craig Cook starred for the Aces, although it was a near-perfect performance from Steve Worrall that denied the Robins from earning a possible win in Manchester as the Brit returned with 13 points from five rides – only denied a maximum by Troy Batchelor in the final race.

Rossiter said: “Six points is good. We’ll get the track how we want it in the second leg.

“They won’t be as confident and hopefully we’ll get the job done on Thursday.

“The Abbey track is superb, they’ve got rid of the bump going into the first corner. Everybody had a good practice session on Thursday and ended happy.”

The home side made a good start when Worrall charged from the tapes in heat one, forcing Nick Morris wide on bend two to win the race comfortably. Cook held third, while Adam Ellis finished fourth.

The Aces signalled their early intent with a 5-1 in heat two courtesy of the impressive Dan Bewley and team mate Jye Etheridge. Robins duo Mitchell Davey and Zach Wajknecht filled the minor placings.

Batchelor and David Bellego responded with the Robins’ first 5-1 of the night in heat three as the momentum turned in the visitors’ favour.

Rossiter’s men were boosted when Aces number five Max Fricke was excluded from heat four for getting off his bike while gardening at the tapes, a new rule introduced for this season.

Fricke rode from 15 metres, but it proved little problem for the young Aussie, who passed Tobiasz Musielak on lap two before beating Davey to the line after charging up the inside of the Robins reserve on the final bend.

Fricke’s heroics kept the Aces’ two-point lead intact before the first break.

Belle Vue held onto that advantage after heat five as Bewley romped to a comfortable win ahead of the Robins pair of Morris and Ellis.

The turning point in the first part of the meeting came in heat six, though.

After making a good start from the tapes, the Robins’ Polish racer Musielak was swamped down the back straight as Worrall powered around the outside, while Cook charged up the inside heading into turn three.

The home pair stretched clear from there to land a maximum in emphatic style.

The Aces bagged another win in the seventh race as Fricke was comfortably won from tapes to flag.

It wasn’t so easy for the Robins pair of Bellego and Batchelor in second and third respectively, though.

Batchelor allowed Bellego around his outside down the back straight during the first lap, blocking any possible move from Etheridge at the back as the Robins ended the first half six points down.

Swindon’s Ellis and Bellego blocked out the challenge of Bewley in heat eight as a shared heat followed.

Frustration followed when reserve Wajknecht was excluded from heat nine for dismounting his bike while gardening in heat nine.

The British youngster managed to earn a point in the re-run, though, as Australian champion Tungate suffered his second mechanical fault of the night.

Polish prospect Damian Drozdz held second as Musielak comfortably won heat nine.

The home side extended their lead to six points in heat 10 when the unbeaten Worrall won from tapes to flag, while British team mate Cook could only manage third after a determined ride from Batchelor promoted the Aussie to second.

That lead remained for the Aces after heat 11 as Fricke continued his fine form to win ahead of Morris and Ellis, who got the better of Etheridge for third spot.

Bewley’s up-and-down night continued in heat 12 with another last place as the Robins claimed a 4-2, with Batchelor taking the flag first.

The Aces returned the favour and more in the following heat, though, as Fricke charged around the outside of Morris to earn the hosts a much-needed 5-1, making the score 43-35.

The opportunity to keep that lead at eight points evaporated from Aces boss Mark Lemon’s hands in heat 14, though, as Tungate packed up for a third time when entering bend three on the final lap – gifting Davey third as the Robins pegged back the lead.

A committed first lap from Batchelor earned him the win in the final race as the home side were forced to settle for a six-point cushion.

BELLE VUE ACES 48: Craig Cook 7+1 (1-2’-1-3), Steve Worrall 13+1 (3-3-3-3-1’), Damian Drozdz 5 (1-0-2-2), Rohan Tungate 0 (R-R-R), Max Fricke 13+1 (3-3-3-2’-2), Jye Etheridge 4+1 (2’-0-0-2), Dan Bewley 6 (3-0-3-0-0).

SWINDON ROBINS 42: Nick Morris 7 (2-2-2-1), Adam Ellis 4+2 (0-1’-2-1’), Troy Batchelor 12+1 (3-1’-2-3-3), David Bellego 7+1 (2’-2-0-3-0), Tobiasz Musielak 5+1 (1’-1-3-0), Zach Wajtknecht 2 (0-0-1-1), Mitchell Davey 5+1 (1-2-1’-1).