SWINDON skipper Jason Doyle pulled off a sensational Heat 15 move to settle a pulsating Abbey clash 46-44 against Premiership leaders Ipswich.
When fast-gating Pole Krystian Pieszczek hit the front in the last-race decider and team-mate Danny King tucked into third place, the Witches looked set to snatch a draw and cost the CFS Filtration Robins two more points at home.
But Doyle had other ideas as the race went into the last lap and, taking a wider line on turn two than previously seen on the new circuit, he roared alongside Pieszczek and then in front of his opponent into the final bend to bring the house down with a sensational ride.
It gave the Robins all three league points from a meeting in which they never trailed, but were also never able to extend a lead beyond four points with the Witches showing the solidarity which had taken them to the top of the table.
Ipswich are built with serious strength at reserve, but there was also a crucial third place from Robins No.7 Ellis Perks in Heat 14 as he just held off Cameron Heeps to break the deadlock that had existed since the ninth race, which put Swindon into the decider ahead.
It was all a fitting climax to a terrific evening of speedway with the Robins frequently doing their work from the back.
Ipswich gated on a 5-1 in Heat 3 but Rasmus Jensen and Adam Ellis both overhauled Heeps before Jensen reeled in tremendous ground on King, cut back off bend four and just made the finish in front.
Ellis then used the outside to make it around Chris Harris going into the last turn to take Heat 5, and David Bellego pounced smartly when Pieszczek lifted on the back straight to grab a win from Heat 6.
Robins led by four at that stage, but back-to-back Ipswich 4-2s in Heats 8 and 9 brought the match level with Edward Kennett a key man at reserve for the visitors.
A series of Swindon heat winners followed, punctuated by Pieszczek impressively defeating Doyle and Troy Batchelor in Heat 13, but neither side could find a breakthrough.
That was until Perks backed up Ellis’s win in Heat 14, split by Kennett, which set things up for Doyle’s dramatic heroics in the decider.
Swindon boss Alun Rossiter said: “We knew it was going to be tough because Ipswich are solid all the way through, and we were struggling after losing Stefan (Nielsen) who got paid-seven last week.
“It was a super special ride from Jason to get us the win, and he did it just before a Grand Prix at the weekend, and you could still see him giving us 100 per cent.
“The track boys are doing a great job, and each week it’s getting better. We’re trying to make them do slightly different changes to help us, but it’s the same for both sides and it’s not rough any more.
“If it was rough, you wouldn’t see Jason making a move like that, so full credit to the track staff. Jason was really clever, he kept gaining speed and then he got that run down the straight.â€Â
Robins continue their busy schedule when they visit Wolverhampton on Monday, before they take on King’s Lynn at the Abbey next Thursday.
PREMIERSHIP: SWINDON 46: Jason Doyle 11+1, Troy Batchelor 10, Rasmus Jensen 8, David Bellego 7+1, Adam Ellis 7, Ellis Perks 3+1, Todd Kurtz 0. IPSWICH 44: Krystian Pieszczek 12, Edward Kennett 10, Danny King 9+2, Jake Allen 4+2, Chris Harris 4+1, Richard Lawson 4+1, Cameron Heeps 1+1 Premiership points: Swindon 3 Ipswich 1
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