SWINDON Robins saw their perfect home record in 2018 ended this evening as SGB Premiership leaders Somerset Rebels took the spoils at the Abbey Stadium.

Alun Rossiter’s side were seeking a ninth successive victory on home shale this year but were unable to recover from a slow start, while a series of falls did not help their cause either as Swindon recorded seven non-finishes on the night.

The result continues a worrying dip in form for the reigning Premiership champions as they have now suffered three defeats in succession after previous losses away at Belle Vue Aces and Wolverhampton Wolves.

Somerset’s former Swindon skipper Jason Doyle was quick to display his knowledge of the Abbey track by delivering victory for the visitors in the opening race before the home side suffered a nightmare second.

Reserves Jack Smith and Ellis Perks seemed to get stuck in the traps and are well behind after two corners. Smith then fell before remounting, and it was lucky he did as Perks went down too, leading to an easy maximum for the visitors as Tero Aarnio headed Jake Allen.

The Robins produced the perfect response with a maximum of their own next time out, as Adam Ellis led home Tobiasz Musielak.

Troy Batchelor was stunned by a brave ride from Jack Holder in heat four as the Rebels man swept by his fellow Aussie to deliver a heat advantage for Somerset.

Musielak produced a gutsy effort to take the spoils in the fifth race, slamming the door on Doyle in the charge to the first bend and the world champion had no answer from there. Ellis took an important third as Swindon trailed 16-14 overall.

The Robins looked to be on for a maximum in heat six as Smith followed a cracking start from Nick Morris, only for the reserve to go down.

Swindon were in the midst of a decent run as Batchelor and Ellis took the chequered flag in races seven and eight respectively. However, the Robins were hurt by falls as Perks and Smith both went down again meaning three of those races were shared.

The hosts had a shot at a maximum in heat nine as Musielak led Ellis, but Holder slipped between them and Swindon had to make do with a 4-2.

Disaster struck for Swindon in race 10 as Morris fell when leading and was excluded for the re-run. A likely 3-3 draw turned into a Rebels maximum as Smith could not make an impression against Aaron Summers and Richard Lawson, with the hosts falling 32-28 behind overall.

The Rebels inched further clear in the next contest as Doyle dived up the inside of Batchelor before romping clear, with Swindon suffering a double blow as Wilson-Dean leapfrogged Perks too to nab third place.

Morris bounced back from his previous disappointment to take the spoils in heat 12 after overhauling the fast-stating Aarnio before Swindon’s hopes of overall glory suffered a damaging blow in the next when a likely 3-3 became a 4-3 Somerset win.

Doyle was supreme off the line but Batchelor was all over the back of him for three laps, only for his hard charge to result in him crashing into the air fence. That promoted Morris to second but, crucially, Holder claimed third for the visitors.

And Swindon’s fate was sealed with a race to spare despite a classy ride from Musielak. The Pole took a big win but Perks tailed off at the back and a shared heat was enough to leave the Rebels six points to the good and give them the overall spoils.

There was no consolation to a disappointing night for Swindon in the finale as Holder charged off the line, with Musielak unable to reel him.

Lawson beat Ellis for third too, which ensured Somerset travelled home with an additional league point and left the Robins to lick their wounds ahead of their swift return to the Abbey on Monday when they host Leicester Lions.

SWINDON ROBINS 41 SOMERSET REBELS 49

SWINDON: Nick Morris 10 (2-3-FX-3-2), David Bellego R/R, Adam Ellis 9 (3-1-3-1-1-0), Tobiasz Musielak 13+1 (2’-3-3-3-2), Troy Batchelor 7 (2-3-2-FX), Ellis Perks (G) 0 (F-F-F-0-0), Jack Smith 2 (1-0-F-F-1)

SOMERSET: Jason Doyle 11 (3-2-3-3), Bradley Wilson-Dean 3+1 (1-0-1’-1), Aaron Summers 4+1 (0-1’-3-0), Richard Lawson 7+2 (1-2-2’-1’-1), Jack Holder 11 (3-2-2-1-3), Jake Allen 3+2 (2’-1’-0), Tero Aarnio (G) 10 (3-1-2-2-2)