Ellis praises team performance, insists Swindon reserves will come good soon

ADAM ELLIS praised his Swindon Robins teammates after they managed to secure their first home win of the Premiership season with a 46-44 win over the Peterborough Panthers. Total Sport Swindon’s Ryan Walker spoke to the British racer following the meeting.

A testing evening of racing saw Swindon clinch victory by just two points as Peterborough rallied late on to secure an away league point at the Abbey Stadium. Speaking after the action Ellis admitted it was a difficult night for both sides.

“We knew it was going to be tough,” said Ellis.

“They’ve got strength in depth and good riders one to five.

“We made it harder work for ourselves than what we needed to.

“It’s frustrating but a wins a win. We’re still getting to grips with the track and it was a bit grippier than what it had been the last two meetings,” he said.

Captain and former World Champion Jason Doyle remained absent from the meeting after suffering a punctured lung and broken ribs whilst racing in the Polish Ekstraliga. 

However, Ellis explained that it was good to show that the team could still win without Jason in the side. 

“It’s important to show that [we can win without Jason],” stated Ellis.

“It’s no secret that the team is based around Jason. He’s the big hitting number one and we’re lucky to have him.

“It’s tough to replace him but it was a good win for the team.

“We’d like to have won by more but it’s still very early days,” Ellis said.

Scoring 10 points against Peterborough saw Ellis enjoy a rewarding night of racing in front of a packed home crowd with the Team GB rider detailing how track conditions suited his style of riding. 

“I felt good and the track was grippy so there wasn’t much passing,” Ellis said.

“It was ideal racing when making good starts and the track made that easier.

“I was a bit frustrated with my last ride but it happens and I tried to make the best of a bad situation in the end,” he added. 

Having previously been a reserve rider at Swindon and further afield, Ellis knows from experience the troubles reserve duo Zach Wajtknecht and James Shanes are currently facing.

But Ellis remained positive when questioned about Swindon’s struggling reserves and insisted that they will come good soon. 

“It’s tricky and we’ve come into the season without having any practice on the track,” said Ellis.

“It’s a new track for everyone to learn and they don’t have as much experience so it will take them time to get used to it.

“It’s difficult for them and so far we have raced against teams who have some big reserves,” he added.

“We knew it was going to be tough for them but that’s the sacrifice you have to make if you want a strong top five.

“We are all confident they will come good,” added Ellis.