LEIGH ADAMS stormed to victory in the last-heat decider to ensure the Pebley Beach Swindon Robins stayed in the hunt for a top three play-off placing.

The Swindon skipper's race success in heat 15 completed yet another maximum for him and made sure that Robins extended their winning league sequence to five.

He easily blasted away the threat offered by Peter Karlsson and the impressive young Swede Fredrik Lindgren, but unfortunately partner Lee Richardson pulled out of the race with yet more mechanical problems.

The meeting was nip and tuck throughout as the depleted Robins side just managed to fend off a battling Wolves outfit, the lead changing hands several times.

It was only in the latter stages that Swindon went into a six-point lead and then increased it to eight in race 13.

The visitors though refused to give in and a 5-1 maximum from their outstanding reserve Christian Hefenbrock and Lindgren took the meeting right to the wire before Adams had the final say.

Last week Robins were awesome but on this occasion, apart from Adams, they were very inconsistent but managed to do just enough.

They certainly missed reserve Adrian Miedzinski, who has been scoring heavily in recent matches.

All of the team apart from reserve guest James Brundle managed a race win, but they never looked masters of the Abbey circuit.

Mads Korneliussen offered excellent support but missed out in his easiest ride in race eight, while Sebastian Ulamek was nowhere near the dominant form of recent weeks.

Russian Renat Gafurov, back in a Robins race jacket, shrugged off a first race blob for paid seven while Richardson weighed-in with nine points but was still struggling in the later stages.

The big disappointment was Swedish youngster Sebastian Alden, who was expected to assume a commanding role with Miedzinski absent. But apart from one ride he struggled.

He was heavily outweighed by Wolves counterpart Hefenbrock who scored a brilliant 11 and one bonus point his best total of the season.

Skipper Adams admitted: "It was a tough night for the boys but we just got the win which was pleasing."

Team boss Alun Rossiter added: "The scoreline was no shock to me.

"For some reason Wolverhampton always get under your nails and this was no exception. They just chipped away and took it to a last-heat decider.

"We were always going to find it hard without Miedzinski at reserve and to be honest struggled in that position.

"Seb (Alden) seems to have lost all his power. And Seb Ulamek didn't have the best of nights, but has been outstanding recently.

"We didn't hit top form but are getting there. The pleasing thing was that we won and got another two points to make it five wins in a row."

Robins made a dream start as Korneliussen roared around the outside of the first and second bends to join Adams up front. The Robins skipper then nursed him home in a superb display of team riding for a 5-1 maximum.

But the joy was washed out immediately as in the re-run of heat two, Alden failed to trouble the two Wolves reserves and trailed home third with guest Brundle, off a 15 metre handicap for touching the tapes, last.

In the next Gafurov fouled the tapes and finished last as Ulamek could only split Wolves pairing of Lindgren and Correy, who started the season at Blunsdon as a temporary replacement for Gafurov.

Richardson came charging from the back to pick off Billy Hamill and Hefenbrock to win race four and keep the deficit at only two.

Gafurov bounced back after his woes to record a race-five win over Peter Karlsson and, with two 4-2s in heats five and six, Swindon edged into a two point lead at 19-17.

However, after race seven was shared, Wolves hit back with a surprise 5-1 from Magnus Karlsson and Hefenbrock, over Alden and Korneliussen, to edge in front again at 25-23.

It was level after a 4-2 in the next and then a brilliant 5-1 from Adams and Korneliussen turned the tables again as Robins regained a 32-28 advantage.

Back came Wolves with a 4-2 in race 11, but any fears that Robins might struggle in the latter stages were quickly dispelled.

Alden produced his only decent ride of the night and with Gafurov following him home for a 5-1 maximum in race 12 the host had moved 39-33 clear.

Adams and Richardson increased that to eight points with a 4-2 in the next but visitors Wolverhampton would not lay down.

Hefenbrock and Lindgren blasted aside Alden and Ulamek to cut Swindon's advantage to only four and set up a last-heat decider.

Robins fans did not need to panic though as Captain Marvel' Adams ensured victory.

MEETING DETAILS

SWINDON 47: Leigh Adams (2*-3-3-3-3) 14+1; Mads Korneliussen (3-1-0-2*) 6+1; Renat Gafurov (0-3-1-2*) 6+1; Sebastian Ulamek (2-1-3-0) 6; Lee Richardson (3-3-2-1-R) 9; James Brundle (0-0-0) 0; Sebastian Alden (1-0-1-3-1) 6+1.

WOLVERHAMPTON 43: Peter Karlsson (1-2-3-2-2) 10; Magnus Karlsson (0-0-3-1) 4; Ronnie Correy (1-1*-R) 2+1; Fredrik Lindgren (3-2-1-2*-1*) 9+2; Billy Hamill (1*-2-2-0) 5+1; William Lawson (2*-0-0-0) 2+1; Christian Hefenbrock (3-2-2*-1-3) 11+1.

HEAT DETAILS

  • Heat 1: Korneliussen, Adams, P Karlsson, M Karlsson, 65.99 (5-1)
  • Heat 2 (re-run): Hefenbrock, Lawson, Alden, Brundle (15m tapes), 66.84 (6-6)
  • Heat 3 (re-run): Lindgren, Ulamek, Correy, Gafurov (15m tapes), 66.80 (8-10)
  • Heat 4: Richardson, Hefenbrock, Hamill, Alden, 66.99 (11-13)
  • Heat 5: Gafurov, P Karlsson, Ulamek, M Karlsson, 66.05 (15-15)
  • Heat 6: Adams, Hamill, Korneliussen, Lawson, 66.34 (19-17)
  • Heat 7: Richardson, Lindgren, Correy, Brundle, 67.17 (22-20)
  • Heat 8: M Karlsson, Hefenbrock, Alden, Korneliussen, 67.36 (23-25)
  • Heat 9: Ulamek, Hamill, Gafurov, Lawson, 66.89 (27-27)
  • Heat 10: Adams, Korneliussen, Lindgren, Correy (ret), 66.92 (32-28)
  • Heat 11: P Karlsson, Richardson, M Karlsson, Brundle, 67.21 (34-32)
  • Heat 12: Alden, Gafurov, Hefenbrock, Lawson, 67.68 (39-33)
  • Heat 13: Adams, P Karlsson, Richardson, Hamill, 65.92 (43-35)
  • Heat 14: Hefenbrock, Lindgren, Alden, Ulamek, 67.30 (44-40)
  • Heat 15: Adams, P Karlsson, Lindgren, Richardson (ret), 66.17 (47-43)

MAN OF THE MATCH

LEIGH ADAMS

No other takers as Swindon's super Aussie ensured a Robins' victory in heat 15 and completed a paid maximum.