SPEEDWAY: Swindon defeated by Leicester in Elite League clash

Darcy Ward kicked off his Robins career in perfect fashion with a classy win in his opening ride, before he successfully led an 8-1 with guest Craig Cook as he took a tactical ride in heat six.

Four points down going into heat 13, Ward and Cook appeared set for a match equalising 5-1 when both were excluded; Ward crashed out and was excluded before Cook came down in the rerun to leave Leicester gaining a 5-0, which put the Lions nine up and virtually guaranteed victory.

Although Ward and Grzegorz Zengota ensured the Robins finished with a flourish with a 5-1 in the final race, it was not enough to snatch a point.

Eduard Krcmar struggled on his Elite League debut despite a solid second place in heat eight.

Reserves Lewis Rose and Adam Roynon, the latter deputising for the injured Charles Wright, scored five points, but their Leicester counterpoints claimed 18, including three wins for Carl Wilkinson, who did much of the damage when Swindon were at Beaumont Park weeks previous.

Rider replacement for Nick Morris, injured at Somerset on Friday, yielded just two points. Three or four more points may well have handed Swindon a much needed win, but it didn't come.

Team manager Alun Rossiter said: “We only got two points from Nick (Morris’) rides, we had a bit of bad luck as well when after being on a 5-1 at one point in heat 13 we conceded a 5-0. That was the killer blow in the end really, and it was disappointing to fall just short of getting a point.”

“Greg (Zengota) was outstanding again tonight, and Darcy came in and rode like he had never been away.”

LEICESTER 49: Jason Doyle 13+1, Carl Wilkinson 12, Szymon Wozniak 11+1, Simon Lambert 6+1, Piotr Swiderski 6, Sam Masters 1+1, Grzegorz Walasek R/R.

SWINDON 42: Darcy Ward 15+1, Grzegorz Zengota 14+1, Craig Cook 6+1, Lewis Rose 3, Eduard Krcmar 2, Adam Roynon 2, Nick Morris R/R.