Elite League BPeterborough Panthers 47 Swindon Robins 43PETERBOROUGH finished their home league program on a high with a good team performance in front of the sky cameras.

Elite League B

Peterborough Panthers 47 Swindon Robins 43

PETERBOROUGH finished their home league program on a high with a good team performance in front of the sky cameras.

The result was in doubt all the way through the match as the lead changed hands several times as both teams fought for control with the result being decided in a last heat decider.

Panthers took the win but the Robins salvaged a point and to be fair no one could argue they didn't deserve it.

Not for the first time this year the opposition took a 5-1 in the opening heat with Iversen chasing McGowan all the way but never really looking like catching him after the Robins pair had shot away from the tapes.

Panthers quickly made amends with a maximum of their own in two as Dryml led with Bager forcing his way from last to second coming off the second bend.

Bjerre comfortably won the third as the Robins pairing settled for the minor places, but it was advantage Peterborough in heat four as Zagar got squeezed out in a tight first corner with a Panthers 5-1 putting them into the lead for the first time.

Hansen and Bjerre shot away to lead heat five but Adams clearly had other ideas and he passed Hansen and then squeezed Bjerre on the 4th bend to take a lead he never relinquished.

Zagar made amends for his race zero with an impressive win in the sixth whilst most of the action went on behind him as Hurry and Bager swapped third place before Bager pulled away.

Swindon then stepped up a gear and rattled in two consecutive 5-1s in heats seven and eight to open up a four point lead and with Zagar easily winning the ninth, after a green light malfunction they looked to have the edge.

Nevertheless the Panthers came back well and in heat 10 before the interval first Iversen and then Hansen got the better of early race leader Stead to level it all up again at 30 points apiece.

It was all Panthers initially in heat 11 as Batchelor and Dryml trapped ahead of Adams, Batchelor was gone but Adams stuck to Dryml's back wheel for the entire race and with Dryml going for the wide line on the last bend he switched back to the inside and snatched second place on the line.

Lemon made a good start to initially lead the 12th but Bager forced his way up the inside and squeezed Lemon wide (pun intended) allowing a gap which Hansen took advantage off, Lemon

gave chase but Hansen kept his line and followed Bager home for a much needed Panthers maximum, which stretched the Panthers lead to six points for the first time.

If everyone thought that was it, they very clearly had their opinions changed as Swindon roared back with a comfortable maximum of their own in heat 13, Bjerre ensured Panthers had the edge with a hard fought win over Stead in 14, but third place Dryml meant the Robins needed another 5-1 in the finale for a draw.

It wasn't beyond the realms of possibility either following the heat 13 result but Peterborough won the toss and took the inside gates and although Adams blasted away to win, Bjerre and Iversen shut out the trailing Zagar and the win was Panthers.

Peterborough achieved the result through a better all round team effort and a special mention should go to Henning Bager who deservedly got the man of the match award after a season best paid 12 return.

Despite the win Panthers remain in fifth place and to climb up the table further need to gain something from their three remaining away matches at Poole, Wolverhampton and Belle Vue.

Peterborough: Iversen 8+1, Vissing R/R, Hansen 7+3, Bjerre 11+1, Batchelor 6, Dryml 6, Bager 9+3.

Swindon: Adams 13+1, McGowan 5+1, Pavlic 4+2, Stead 7, Zagar 9, Hurry 0, Lemon 5+1.