SWINDON Robins banished the spectre of their opening day disaster at Poole Pirates with victory over Coventry Bees in their first home meeting of the season tonight.

Alun Rossiter’s new-look Robins headed to the Abbey Stadium with their Good Friday mauling at the hands of the reigning champions but gave their home fans a glimpse of their potential with a confident display as the likes of Jason Doyle, Josh Grajczonek, Nick Morris, Stefan Nielsen and Charles Wright all impressed.

Riding against his old club for the second meeting in succession, former Swindon skipper Hans Andersen got the Bees off to a good start with a race win in heat one whilst another guest from Poole Pirates, in the form of Adam Ellis, continued to prove a thorn in the side of the Robins as he passed Nielsen to ensure heat two was drawn.

A superb display from Grajczonek and Morris saw the Robins overturn the early deficit, the former storming to victory whilst the latter recovered from falling behind Danny King and Chris Harris to blaze past both Coventry riders and rack up the first 5-1 scoreline of the night.

Bees guest Ellis continued to shine with another dominant victory in heat four but Nielsen came to the fore in the fifth, clinching his first heat victory as a Swindon rider with an assured ride, helping to put the hosts 17-13 ahead.

Coventry captain Harris was imperious in the sixth but Grajczonek and Tungate ensured the heat was drawn and then in heat seven, Robins number one Doyle showed off his racing prowess as he recovered from gating behind King to seal a 4-2 win, with Morris finishing well ahead of Kacper Woryna, who was shaken after slipping into the air fence at the first bend to cause a re-run.

Perhaps unhappy with fellow reserve Nielsen showing him up, Wright shone in heat eight – Garrity sling-shotted into an early lead but a sublime passing move from a determined Wright helped him cross the line first and, combined with Tungate, made it 28-20 with a 4-2 win.

But the Bees showed that they carried plenty of sting in the tail in heat nine as Woryna and Ellis stamped their authority all over Nielsen and Sedgmen to record a maximum but as soon as Swindon’s lead had been cut to three points, they were right back in the ascendancy.

After taking a brave outside line, Morris streaked away from the off and then Grajczonek slickly outmanoeuvred Andersen to power into second place and rack up another Robins 5-1, restoring the Robins’ eight-point lead.

Sedgmen appeared to finally come to the party when he led early on in the 11th race of the night but despite skipper Doyle attempting to hold off the dangerous Coventry duo of Harris and King, Sedgmen was passed by the Bees captain, but Doyle crossed the first to further add to the hosts’ advantage.

Coventry needed a big display from Andersen and Harris in heat 13 but Doyle stole in front on the second turn with a smart readjustment while Morris firmly shut the door as Swindon clinched victory in style with a stirring 5-1.

It was then left to Grajczonek to continue his impressive night and massage the Robins’ score with victory in the 14th and then in heat 15, he held off the dogged challenge of Harris to put the icing on the cake with another maximum, Doyle storming to victory.