UK Premiership - Swindon lead Final after first leg victory in Ipswich

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UK Premiership - Swindon lead Final after first leg victory in Ipswich

The weather continued to play it's part in the post-season of the UK Premiership as Monday's first leg fixture between Swindon Robins and Ipswich Witches was cancelled and then moved to Tuesday 15 October instead. But fortunately, a dry evening in Ipswich saw great racing between the two clubs who finished second and fourth respectively in the league table this year.

There was nothing to separate the teams in the first five heats as they were all drawn 3-3 in a tense and nervy affair.

Things started to look up for the hosts when they won Heat 6 with a 5-1 coming from SGP rider, Niels Kristian Iversen and Australian Cameroon Heeps. But no sooner was that over then the Robins responded with a 1-5 of their own, as Rasmus Jensen and Tobiasz Musielak leveled the scores. Musielak (pictured riding for Vetlanda) would go on to top the scoreboard for the visitors with an impressive 12+1.

And the Robins' Danish-Polish pairing would again pull the team back from the brink with another 1-5 victory in Heat 10 meaning that score was dead even at 30-30 with five heats to go.

And it was in this last third of the tie that we would see daylight appear between the two finalists.

The Robins SGP rider and captain, Jason Doyle won Heat 11 and behind him teammate Adam Ellis would make up for a bad start to overtake the Witches' Jake Allen to secure second place and, more importantly, Swindon's first heat advantage of the night to take the overall lead 31-35.

And this lead would increase in the nomination heats as Jensen took Heat 14 and Doyle won his heat in a head-to-head against SGP rival, Iversen.

It means the visitors return home to Swindon with an eight point advantage after winning this match, 41-49.

This could well be enough for the Robins to lift the Premiership trophy on their home track on Thursday, where they have not lost this year, as the Witches come to visit for the final match of the league's season.