Wolves crash at Swindon

Home skipper Leigh Adams won the crucial last race from Peter Karlsson and Fredrik Lindgren, when a heat advantage would have given Wolves something to show for their efforts.

But while Aussie Adams delivered in the crunch race, it was his 22-year-old cousin Cory Gathercole who broke the visitors' hearts with a match turning paid 16.

There had been just a hint of vulnerability among the Robins, when the unfortunate Troy Batchelor crashed heavily in heat four and had to withdraw from the meeting.

But Gathercole covered the gap, crucially beating off the double-point tactical ride for Karlsson in heat 11.

That meant the Parrys International Wolves were still eight points behind with four heats left.

The team could get no closer with the spoils shared in each of those races.

Lindgren led the way with 11 points for Wolves – a puncture cost him victory over Gathercole in his first ride or it would have been 12 – and Tai Woffinden impressed with two wins in his paid 12 while Adam Skornicki was rock steady in the middle order.

Team boss Peter Adams admitted his frustration at missing out after going so close to a point.

He said: "It was a good match and a big crowd. A bloody good effort from the boys.

"Gathercole was absolutely on fire. The way he was going I don't think they missed Batchelor so much.

"The old master Leigh Adams pulled it out of the hat when it mattered."

The manager opted for Karlsson and Lindgren, the two Wolves riders who had beaten Adams earlier in the meeting, for the heat 15 clash although Woffinden was also in his thoughts.

Adams said: "I'd also got to protect Woffinden's average. On June 1, when Lakeside come back to Wolverhampton, he's missing for the world under-21 teams qualifier in Abensberg, Germany.

"I think that Lakeside team are a potential threat.

"Although Tai's not our number one, because it's an FIM event we can have a guest. We know which one we want, so I had the calculator going!"

Swindon: Cory Gathercole 14+2, Leigh Adams 13, Jurica Pavlic 10+1, Simon Stead 7, Travis McGowan 4+2, Krzysztof Stojanowski 2+1.

Wolves: Fredrik Lindgren 11, Peter Karlsson 10+2, Tai Woffinden 10+2, Adam Skornicki 7+1, Chris Kerr 3+3, Hynek Stichauer 1.