Swindon produced a remarkable finish to clinch a 46-45 win from a dramatic SGB Premiership clash at Leicester on Monday.
The Carpets4Less Robins secured three 5-1s in the final four races to turn around an 11-point deficit against their injury-hit hosts, with Nick Morris and recent signing Tobiasz Musielak both coming from the back in the decider.
Robins never hit the heights of their spectacular win at Belle Vue last Friday, but were in position to pounce as the hosts began to run out of steam – and the result moves them into the play-off places.
Musielak and David Bellego combined for a 5-1 in Heat 3 to give Swindon the early advantage, but a series of Leicester heat wins followed with the home reserves both outstanding.
The Lions lost recent arrival Kyle Newman with an arm injury after a Heat 1 spill, but with both Lasse Bjerre and Erik Riss in form and taking extra rides, it looked like they would have the strength to cover.
Leicester led 29-19 after eight races but Heat 9 provided major drama, first when Robins’ Adam Ellis fell on the fourth bend when holding a 5-1 with Morris.
Ellis was withdrawn with a shoulder injury – although it is not thought to be serious – and far worse followed for the home side in the re-run when Riss left newcomer Pawel Przedpelski no room on turn four, with the Pole ploughing into the fence at high speed and suffering suspected ankle injuries.
But the Robins initially looked unable to take advantage of the Lions being down to four riders as the home side actually extended their lead to 11 points across the next three races, Musielak suffering defeat to Kim Nilsson in Heat 10 when the Swindon man took a tactical ride.
But the match began to turn in Heat 12 when Bjerre came to grief on the second lap when attempting an outside pass on Musielak, allowing Zach Wajtknecht to inherit second place for a 5-1.
Morris and Troy Batchelor then combined for a well-worked maximum in the next with Morris squeezing between Nilsson and Danny King on turns three and four, reducing the gap to three points.
Riss kept Leicester in pole position with a win in Heat 14 but there was more carnage in the first attempt to run the decider as Nilsson brought Batchelor down on the first bend with both falling heavily.
Nilsson was disqualified and with Batchelor unfit to ride, Morris came in to partner Musielak – and despite King hitting the front going into the second lap, Morris re-passed him for the lead and Musielak then produced an inside move at the start of lap four with King hitting the fence on the final turn as he tried to respond, leaving the Robins as winners by a single point.
Boss Alun Rossiter said: “We were poor tonight, but I put that down to the track, which wasn’t very good. We were beaten in our heads by the track.
“But in speedway you make your luck, the luck was on our side and we got away with it. We still got the three points, which is important.
“I went on TV and was a bit negative because Bradley (Wilson-Dean) had just lost an easy third place and I was a bit peeved about that – but it just shows you can never write this team off.
“Leicester finished with four riders and (boss) Jim Lynch probably feels he’s run over a black cat, but you can only beat what’s in front of you.
“Tobias went into the ambulance with Przedpelski, and for him to come back like that having seen his countryman hurt was really impressive
“He was outstanding all night, and I couldn’t believe that last-minute dive on Danny King!”
Robins continue their busy spell when they visit Poole on Wednesday before hosting Rye House at the Abbey 24 hours later.
LEICESTER 45: Lasse Bjerre 14+2, Erik Riss 14, Danny King 7+2, Kim Nilsson 7, Pawel Przedpelski 3, Kyle Newman 0, Josh Bates r/r.
SWINDON 46: Tobiasz Musielak 15+1, Nick Morris 10+1, Troy Batchelor 10, David Bellego 5+2, Zach Wajtknecht 3+2, Bradley Wilson-Dean 2, Adam Ellis 1.
