SWINDON Robins team manager Alun Rossiter is concerned that he could have given Wolverhampton Wolves the mental edge going into the play-offs.

The Robins headed to Monmore Green last night knowing they could have moved a step closer to securing a play-off spot and send a message of intent out at the same time.

However, they ended up losing pace on the sides above them as they fell to a 51-39 loss in the Midlands.

Despite improving on their last visit to the Black Country, when they fell to a 62-30 reverse, a 12-point maximum from skipper Jason Doyle was not enough to stop Swindon heading back to Wiltshire empty-handed and that is a concern for Rossiter as he has one eye on the play-offs.

“It was certainly a much-improved performance but it is still not good enough,” he said.

“We could end up going back there in the play-offs and we can’t afford to let them have that sort of a lead. Some of the riders seemed to be getting in the wrong places and we need to be a little bit sharper and a bit wiser in the corners when we come here.

“It is a massive home advantage that Wolverhampton have got, especially when you think there were three Grand Prix riders in their tonight.

“We were in there battling for a while but at the end we let it go a bit and that was disappointed.

“I am not upset with the performance but we can still do better.

“We don’t want to give them a mental edge or we are just giving ourselves the extra meeting at the end of the season in the play-offs for nothing.”

The hosts had the perfect preparation for the meeting as they dispatched King’s Lynn Stars 61-29 in the first of the double-header.

Doyle gave Swindon a heat advantage in the opening race to suggest that the second encounter of the night was going to be a tighter affair.

However, Wolves’ reserves of Max Clegg and Kyle Howarth, followed by the Grand Prix duo of Tai Woffinden and Chris Harris, who was guesting for Sam Masters, gave the home side back-to-back maximums.

Rohan Tungate was gating well and he got the jump on the two Wolves riders of Jacob Thorssell and Howarth, who ended up came together heading into bend one of heat four.

Neither rider fell but Thorssell was forced to retire as he suffered mechanical issues, giving Swindon the heat advantage and reducing the gap to four points. However, Peter Karlsson and Clegg gave Wolves another maximum in heat five to restore their eight-point lead.

Doyle and Josh Grajczonek responded immediately with a maximum of their own as both sides traded blows in what was turning into an enthralling encounter.

Wolves were starting to put some distance between them and their visitors come heat 11 when the Swedish pair of Lindgren and Karlsson teamed up for a four-point advantage.

Clegg and Howarth then looked on course to put the meeting beyond Swindon when they were leading heat 12 but a mistake from the latter saw Wright take second spot, a fine achievement as his bike had caught fire before going out and he had to borrow Sedgmen.

Two shared heats in 13 and 14 put pay to any chance of Swindon coming away with any points from the evening before Harris wrapped up the win leading home Morris and Tungate in heat 15.

“Jason (Doyle) is just on the crest of a wave at the moment but he needs some back-up from the rest of the boys,” added Rossiter.

“He got it with Rohan but then the reserves didn’t beat anybody and if they don’t do that then we are always going to have our backs to the wall.

“Max Clegg scored 10, paid 11. I know he is good around his own track but I expect our boys to be battling with him at least.

“Wright’s bike caught fire as he went to pull away for his last race but then he jumped on Justin’s bike and enjoyed it better.

“Nick is sort of a bit up and down at the moment. It is not from a lack of effort, but he is struggling with the inconsistency of not riding enough I don’t think.”