COVENTRY’S bid to break into the Elite League’s top four suffered a blow with a 41-49 home defeat to Swindon at Brandon.
The Robins were well worth their win despite a spirited Buildbase Bees comeback which took the match to a last-heat decider, as the visitors adapted better to the slick conditions and dominated the middle stages of the meeting in particular.
Fast-track reserve Steve Worrall made a sensational contribution for the visitors – ironically after conceding a 5-1 to Jason Garrity and James Sarjeant in Heat 2 – in support of big guns Peter Kildemand and Troy Batchelor, and he actually clocked the fastest time of the season when he won Heat 4.
Hans Andersen’s win over Kildemand in the opening race and the reserves’ success in the next were cancelled out by two Swindon 4-2s, and although Andersen and Chris Harris edged Bees back ahead in Heat 5, the 5-1 to the Robins from Kildemand and Batchelor in Heat 6 always looked on the cards.
Aaron Summers, who won two races in a decent guest appearance, held Simon Gustafsson at bay as Bees drew level again in Heat 7, but the meeting went away from them in the next four races.
When Dakota North touched the tapes in Heat 8 the Robins brought in Worrall as his replacement – and he made a flying start to partner Morris to a 5-1 which put his side four points up.
Sarjeant then transgressed at the tapes for Bees in the next race but was unable to pass Dan Greenwood from the 15-metre handicap, and with Worrall heading home Garrity Swindon had taken control.
The Robins tightened their grip with a remarkable 5-1 in Heat 10 as Nick Morris found a way inside Andersen to partner Batchelor to maximum points, and then Kildemand and Gustafsson left Harris and Ryan Fisher trailing in Heat 11 when the Bees skipper was on a tactical ride.
Staring at the likelihood of a heavy home defeat, Bees responded strongly from 14-points down, starting with a 4-2 in Heat 12 as Summers overtook Worrall on turn four after North had crashed on the second bend when Coventry had actually gated on a 5-1.
Andersen and Harris raised hopes of an incredible fightback by seeing off Kildemand and Batchelor in Heat 13, and the next race provided high drama as on the final bend Gustafsson slipped up when trying to pass Kenneth Hansen, and Garrity shot through to give Bees another 5-1.
A third successive maximum advantage in Heat 15 would have salvaged an unlikely draw, but on this occasion the battle of the big guns went Swindon’s way to leave Bees contemplating a home defeat which completely cancels out their win at Blunsdon in April.
Manager Gary Havelock said: “It was a really disappointing night - we should be beating these teams at home.
“Swindon were just faster out of the gate every time, and they got their lead. If we’d got a 5-1 in the last race it would have been a miracle point, but really we were too far behind.
“The track was pretty slick on Monday but we got out of jail with a 5-1 in the last heat. It was the same again tonight and that’s not how we like it – we have a team of racers, and it’s something we have to get sorted or we’ll struggle every time we’re up against a team of fast gaters.â€
BUILDBASE BEES 41: Hans Andersen 9+1, Jason Garrity 8+1, Chris Harris 8, Aaron Summers 6, Kenneth Hansen 5, James Sarjeant 3+1, Ryan Fisher 2.
SWINDON 49: Steve Worrall 12+1, Peter Kildemand 12, Troy Batchelor 10+2, Nick Morris 8+1, Simon Gustafsson 4+1, Dakota North 2+1, Dan Greenwood 1.
