HE may be impatiently waiting to become a father for the third time, but Alun Rossiter has warned his Robins riders not to hang around at Reading tonight.

The bleary-eyed Blunsdon chief's already-hectic schedule is set to get heavier with wife Julie in the GWH Hospital waiting to give birth.

Robins do battle at Reading Racers this evening, before appointments at Ipswich and Belle Vue on Saturday and Monday respectively, meaning Rossiter is likely to have little chance to catch up on lost sleep any time soon.

What will help him rest easier though, is a play-off-boosting win tonight - and the team boss has warned his men to be alert.

A last-heat loss at Poole on Monday failed to dent Rosco's confidence that his side can grab the points they need from their last four fixtures.

However, he was less-than-impressed by his riders' gating - a weakness he knows could yet cost them dear.

"Poole wasn't bad,'' he insisted. "We showed we can battle and to take them to the last heat without having Charlie Gjedde was a good achievement.

"We showed resilience and I'm still confident we can get the job done with a full side.

"But we must sharpen up our gating. We could not get out in front all night and that cannot continue.'' Robins are back at full strength tonight, ahead of three meetings in four days that could confirm their top two finish.

And they will not need reminding that Smallmead was where their play-off hopes were ended by eventual Elite League runners-up Reading last season.

Rossiter added: "We need to keep the momentum going. If we had won at Poole it would have taken the pressure off a little bit but it wasn't to be.

"However, we showed that we're up for the fight and I believe we can do it.

"It won't be easy, because it's a derby and Reading will be fired up, but it's a track we ride well.'' Racers are missing Zdenek Simota, who is bound for Terenzano, Italy to participate in the European Pairs Championship, but bring in club's no 8 - and former Robins man - Chris Neath.

TEAMS

READING RACERS: Matej Zagar, Krzysztof Buczkowski, Janusz Kolodziej, Mark Lemon, Travis McGowan (captain), Jonas Davidsson, Chris Neath (4.03).

SWINDON ROBINS: Leigh Adams (captain), Tomasz Chrzanowski, Lee Richardson, Charlie Gjedde, Seba Ulamek, Andrew Moore, Mads Korneliussen.

Referee: D.B. Entwistle.