Witch craft not enough against rampant Swindon Robins (From Swindon Advertiser)

Witch craft not enough against rampant Swindon Robins

8:30am Friday 3rd July 2009

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THE performance of their opponents may have disappointed Alun Rossiter, but the Robins boss could not have been happier with his own riders as they maintained their charge at the Elite League summit with an emphatic 55-37 victory over the Ipswich Witches last night.

Swindon eased to the win over their East Anglian visitors and were never seriously troubled on their way to a second success this week - following Monday’s 50-40 triumph at Eastbourne.

Matej Zagar and Simon Stead were the star performers, both racking up paid 14, but skipper Leigh Adams (paid 12), Travis McGowan (paid 11) and Cory Gathercole (paid nine) more than contributed to the win.

There was also much to be proud of from 17-year-old debutant Justin Sedgmen, even if there was only one point to accompany a mature and very promising maiden Elite League ride.

The team performance was a big bonus for Rossiter, but Robins’ chief was left slightly disappointed at what his side disposed of last night.

“I’m very pleased, but I expected it to be a lot harder than that in all honesty,” he told the Swindon Advertiser.

“I gave Justin Sedgmen all his rides and I expected it to be a lot tougher.

“But all the boys, dug in, did really well, and we absolutely slaughtered them.

“It left me quite disappointed because I expected it to be a lot harder than that, but it wasn’t.

“But you can only beat what’s put in front of you - we did that well and we now just have to keep going and focus on Belle Vue on Monday and try and get four points up there which will put us in the driving seat.

“Everyone did a great job. Leigh was just Leigh, Matej - fantastic, Steady was awesome, and Travis yet again came up with valuable points.”

Although there was little to separate the sides early on as they rode out a three shared heats from the opening four, you could sense it was just a matter of time before Swindon stepped up the pace.

And that duly arrived in heats five and six when first McGowan and Stead roared to a 5-1 victory, only to see their feat replicated by Gathercole and Adams, with the latter guiding his young Australian compatriot home.

The Witches pulled out their tactical rides in seven and nine, but it made little odds as they rarely looked like getting anywhere near a rampant Robins side - Stead and McGowan again crossing the line first in the ninth to crush any Ipswich hopes of a high-scoring heat.

From that point on, it was merely a question of how many the Robins would win by.

By heat 13 Adams and Zagar increased the lead to 22 points, but Ipswich grabbed wins in the final two to at least give themselves a slightly positive finish.

Sedgmen almost produced a fairytale finish to his Elite League debut in heat 14, as he gated superbly to lead for three laps.

But, with the end in sight, his challenge faltered and the teenager eventually brought up the rear.

But it was an indication of the Aussie’s talent, and Rossiter believes Sedgmen has a bright Blunsdon future.

“He’s just 17, he’s learning and he’s going to get better,” said the boss of his young star.

“And it was a pleasing night because I was able to give him all his rides.

“He needs to get down the gym and start training because you could see him getting tired in that last race.

“But the promise is there and Justin is a bright talent for the future.”

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