SWINDON Robins team manager Alun Rossiter pin-pointed a ‘poor decision’ by referee Phil Griffin as the turning point in his side’s 49-41 SGB Premiership Supporters’ Cup final first-leg defeat by Belle Vue Aces on Thursday night.

With the Robins having kept the score close all meeting and trailing by just four points heading into the premier race of the night, heat 13, Jason Doyle was excluded following two unsatisfactory starts.

Reserve Ellis Perks then came in as replacement for Doyle and the home side sped away to a momentum-altering 5-1 heat advantage.

Rossiter felt the second call-back was completely justified given his captain clearly moved early, however, the team manager was adamant the initial running of the race should have been allowed to run its course with the visiting skipper having made a superb start out of the inside gate.

Following the subsequent 5-1, the Aces claimed a 4-2 in the next before Doyle – alongside Tobiasz Musielak – made up for his earlier indiscretion by clawing two points back in the finale.

Rossiter maintained the belief that his side would have remained close throughout had the controversial decision to exclude his captain not come so late.

“I’m just a bit disappointed with the decision of the referee,” said Rossiter.

“The second one, yeah, I’ve got no arguments, but the first one was just a good start by Jason.

“That decision (to exclude Doyle) put us right on the back foot there and it’s disappointing when that happens.

“But we’ve got to move on and eight points, with the way that we’ve been riding our home track recently, we should have no fear.

“We would have been close had it not been for that decision.

“We battled hard all the way through, kept it close all night and then a poor decision like that ends up costing us.”

Despite the Robins trailing by eight points going into the second leg at the Abbey Stadium next Thursday, Rossiter revealed that the post-meeting team talk featured plenty of confidence from his riders, who believe they are more than capable of overturning the deficit.

Swindon have beaten their opponents by more than eight points 10 times in the 15 home meetings this season, and Rossiter said a full team performance and the variety of lines that the Abbey produces should help his side lift their third piece of silverware in three years next Thursday.

Rossiter said: “The second leg is set up nicely now.

“I’ve just spoken to the boys and they’re not downbeat at all, they believe we will be alright next week.

“Our reserves struggled tonight, and Rasmus (Jensen) didn’t have the best night – he flew around here last time – but it was a bit of a one-line track really.

“You get to that dirt first and apart from the odd pass by the lightweight boys, there wasn’t much doing.

“But it is what it is, and eight points means it’s nicely set up for next week.”