Robins cane poor Wolves

There were mitigating circumstances that evening as the Robins capitalised on a series of home misfortunes. But last night the Wiltshire men were, purely and simply, the better team.

The constitution of that team is another story and one likely to be played out in the governing body's committee rooms.

However, the side that did take to the track proved superior in virtually all departments.

Freddie Lindgren was the honourable exception, responding splendidly to the disappointment of crashing out of the world under-21 speedway final to clock up his 1,000th point for the club.

He produced a ride of great maturity in his first outing when beaten out of the tapes by Wolves asset Seba Ulamek.

There was a time when Lindgren would have thrown the kitchen sink at his opponent in a bid to get past.

This time he calmly reeled in the Robin over two laps, showed him the outside run into the pits bend and switched lines for the inside pass.

Lindgren was also the only man to get the better of Swindon captain Leigh Adams, albeit in controversial circumstances.

The Swede had a crucial half-wheel advantage from the tapes in heat 11 and drove his rival out into the heavier shale. Adams fell but his subsequent claim that Lindgren had taken his leg away cut no ice with referee Ronnie Allan.

While Lindgren led the way fellow big hitters Peter Karlsson and Billy Hamill were slightly below their considerable best.

Karlsson got very close to Adams two laps into their first clash with an inside run down the home straight. But the ultra-smooth Aussie repelled the charge, although he had to break the old track record to do it.

Hamill, as ever, could not be faulted for effort. Wolves, six points adrift with two races remaining, were holding a 3-3 in the penultimate heat.

The Bullet simply had to find a way past Lee Richardson, whose sharp starts and fine racing will have confounded a few critics. But the all or nothing effort on the last lap saw the Californian come to grief and fall.

However, where Wolves really missed out was in the second string and reserves department.

Magnus Karlsson was unfortunate to lose a seemingly secure heat two win to fuel supply problems, but Wolves showed an alarming lack of depth in this match.

Indeed it was Swindon's Mads Korneliussen who proved the real MK don, carving his way to a 13-point haul that made all the difference to his side.

Swindon are a club under siege with their big and long-established Blunsdon circuit facing redevelopment.

How thoughtful, therefore, of Wolves to prepare a Monmore track where the best line was to blast round the outside while the customary inside run shed all its grip after just a few heats.

1: Adams (55.28), P Karlsson, Kennett, Hefenbrock 2-42: Korneliussen (57.22), Lawson, Chrzanowski, M Karlsson 4-8

3: Hamill (56.17), Richardson, Correy, Kennett 8-10

4: Lindgren (56.56), Ulamek, Lawson, Chrzanowski 12-12

5: Adams (55.38), Hamill, Korneliussen, Correy 14-16

6: P Karlsson (56.92), Korneliussen, Ulamek, Hefenbrock 17-19

7: Lindgren (56.54), Richardson, Kennett, Lawson 20-22

8: R'son (57.64), Chrzanowski, M Karlsson,Hefenbrock 21-27

9: Korneliussen (56.79), Hamill, Correy, Ulamek 24-30

10: P Karlsson (56.92), Kennett, Richardson, Lawson 27-33

11: Lindgren (57.29), Chrzanowski, M Karlsson, Adams (fell exc) 31-35

12: Korneliussen (57.19), Correy, Kennett, M Karlsson 33-39

13: Adams (56.27), Lindgren, P Karlsson, Ulamek 36-42

14: Richardson (56.69), Lawson, Korneliussen, Hamill (fell) 38-46

15: Adams (55.65), Lindgren, P Karlsson, Richardson 41-49