SWINDON ace Mads Korneliussen is confident they can still finish in the Elite League top two despite their nail-biting seven-point loss at Poole last night.

The 24-year-old Dane impressed with eight paid 12 from six rides as the Robins recovered from a 36-24 deficit with five races to go to force a last-heat decider.

Korneliussen burst past Craig Boyce on the back straight to join Tomasz Chrzanowski on a penultimate race 5-1 that took the clash to the wire.

That was after he had also followed tactical rider Leigh Adams home in heat 11 for an 8-1 after race leader Jason Doyle had fallen on his own on the third lap.

It meant Swindon went into the last race only trailing 45-42 on the night, and 91-89 on aggregate. But Pirates' star Jason Crump, who rode through the pain barrier with a badly swollen knee sustained in the Swedish League on Tuesday, and Bjarne Pedersen outgated Lee Richardson and Adams to get a Poole 5-1 that clinched a riveting contest for the home side.

The Robins, who have four away matches left in their campaign, still top the table.

But Poole and Coventry are only three points behind, as the battle for play-off places hotted-up in front of a bumper 5,500 crowd at Wimborne Road.

Korneliussen, who provided Adams (13) and Richardson (9) with solid support, said: "We are still confident we can finish second even after this defeat.

"We have Reading away on Friday, which is a must-win, just like Ipswich and Belle Vue away soon after that.

"Hopefully we can finish in the top two because there will be a few disappointed faces if we don't."

Korneliussen, whose side only produced two race winners last night, added: "I think Poole might have thought it was already in the bag when they were 36-24 in front.

"But we caught them up pretty good and the boys rode brilliantly to almost steal a win, draw or the bonus.

"We looked like we had really screwed it up early on when we weren't making the starts.

"Then we got it together and our tactical worked perfectly. We were lucky with it, but you need a bit of luck some times.

"We're disappointed we lost, but at least we took it to the last heat, and I think if Charlie Gjedde had been here, we would have had an even better chance of winning."

Korneliussen and Andrew Moore (3+1) outscored Poole's reserves 11-5.

But they had no one to match Crump (14+1), who has pulled out of tonight's Elite League Riders' Championship through injury, and Pedersen (13+1).

The Robins' fighting spirit, as they battle to win the top-flight title for the first time in 40 years, still shines through though, as their late charge showed.