SWINDON Robins crashed to a seventh successive away defeat at Monmore Green tonight, losing 52-38 to Wolverhampton Wolves.

The Robins were hit prior to the start of last night’s meeting following the withdrawals of David Bellego and star reserve Zach Wajtknecht.

Connor Mountain guested for Wajtknecht while rider replacement was operated for the absent Bellego.

However a severe lack of points from Robins’ middle order did little to help Alun Rossiter’s troops, who remain second despite the defeat.

Swindon’s night was epitomised in the very first race as skipper Nick Morris came to grief on the third bend of lap two after being caught out by the greasy early conditions - gifting Wolves an early maximum.

There was drama in heat two as Robins earned their first race advantage of the night in unusual circumstances.

Jack Smith fell while fourth on lap three, however Wolves’ Nathan Greaves hit the deck a bend later while Connor Mountain led Cameron Heeps.

Greaves’ fall forced the race to be stopped in the interest of safety - and because Smith had remounted his bike, Swindon were awarded a 4-2. Greaves was later forced to withdraw from the meeting with concussion.

The home side re-established their four-point lead in heat three when Sam Masters led Tobiasz Musielak home with Kyle Howarth in third.

Heeps won his second race of the night in heat four when leading Troy Batchelor and Rory Schlein with Smith struggling in fourth.

Wolves stretched their lead to double figures after heat five as Robins continued their struggle to adapt to the tight Monmore track with Nick Morris and Jack Smith on the wrong end of a 5-1.

Troy Batchelor took the chequered flag in heat six to steady Robins’ ship, but his team mate Connor Mountain couldn’t find a way past Wolves’ Ashley Morris as the race was shared.

Tobiasz Musielak then touched the tapes at the start of heat seven, forcing him off a 15metre handicap in the re-run.

Musielak’s earlier error cost him further in the re-run as he crashed heavily on the first turn before Wolves earned a 4-2 in the third staging of the race with Rory Schlein taking the win.

Three re-starts were required to complete heat eight after Connor Mountain fell in a tight first turn before Ashley Morris struck the tapes in the second staging.

Mountain and Ellis filled the minor positions as Swindon earned another shared heat.

The same result occurred in heat nine as Wolves maintained their 12-point lead, however Pete Adams’ side were left slightly frustrated following Kyle Howarth’s exclusion in the original staging of the race while Wolves held a 4-2.

Musielak’s below-par night continued in heat 10 when he had to turn the bike inside out on the apex of the first turn to avoid contact with Wolves’ Jacob Thorsell.

The incident gifted the home side a 4-2 with Adam Ellis failing to catch Ashley Morris in front.

Wolves’ 14-point lead remained intact at the interval following Schlein’s second win of the night – Morris and Batchelor could only fill the minor points scoring positions after another tough first turn.

Swindon’s evening got worse in heat 12 as Howarth and Heeps recorded Wolves’ third 5-1 of the night – Adam Ellis and Connor Mountain placed third and fourth.

Alun Rossiter’s troops recorded their first maximum of the night at the 13th attempt when Australian pairing Troy Batchelor and Nick Morris led from the gate to defeat Wolves’ Rory Schlein and Jacob Thorsell.

The home side responded with a 5-1 of their own in heat 14 – Sam Masters and Cameron Heeps led Tobiasz Musielak home, who again had a night to forget.

There was some consolation for Robins in the concluding race as they recorded a second 5-1 - Morris and Batchelor again leading the way.

WOLVERHAMPTON WOLVES 52 SWINDON ROBINS 38

Wolverhampton: Jacob Thorssell 5+1 (2’-2-1-0), Ashley Morris 7+1 (3-1’-0-3), Kyle Howarth 6+1 (1-2’-FX-3-0), Sam Masters 13 (3-3-3-3-1), Rory Schlein 8 (1-3-3-1), Cameron Heeps 13+2 (2-3-1-3-0-2’-2’), Nathan Greaves 0 (F).

Swindon: Nick Morris 7+2 (F-1-2-2’-2’), David Bellego R/R, Adam Ellis 6+1 (0-2-1’-2-1), Tobiasz Musielak 3 (2-FX-0-1), Troy Batchelor 14+1 (2-3-2-1’-3-3), Connor Mountain 6 (1-3-0-2-0-0), Jack Smith 2+1 (1-0-0-1’).