TIM Stone has admitted the rivalry between Swindon and Newport has started to turn bitter after last night's Premier Trophy clash in Wiltshire when the Robins defeated the Wasps 48-42.
When the sides meet again at Hayley Stadium on Sunday (2.30pm) there will be a frosty atmosphere in the pits and the prospect of a war of words developing between the two clubs in the following weeks.
Wasps promoter Stone is determined to see his side gain revenge for last night's defeat. "It would have been nice to go there and get a result but overall I was happy with our performance," said Stone.
"What I would dearly love now is for my boys to absolutely tear Swindon to pieces at our place on Sunday, nothing would please me more.
"There were some encouraging performances overall and I'm not about to go out of my way to criticise anyone.
"However, there were certain aspects of the meeting I was far from happy with. "I wasn't happy with the way we were handled when we needed extra time for one of our riders to get ready for a race and there is a lot I can say which I would rather leave until after we get them at our place on Sunday."
Wasps old boy Paul Fry was a thorn in their side as he raced to a stunning paid-maximum.
After nine races the home side held a comfortable 31-23 advantage but, to their credit, Newport refused to accept defeat and continued to battle hard.
Craig Watson was hardly helped when he was excluded under the two-minutes time allowance regulation and there is no doubt his score would have been significantly more but for that incident.
Frank Smart, returning to his former club, was given a good welcome from the Swindon fans and was good value for his 12+2 scoreline.
But Newport failed to find the strength in depth in the final stages of the meeting to threaten Swindon's lead.
"I would be very disappointed if we failed to get the aggregate bonus point when we meet on Sunday," said Stone.
"I certainly feel we can do it and I want to see another big crowd to help us. " We'll see if we can play them at their own game."
SCORERS Swindon: Paul Fry 14+1, Oliver Allen 8, Alun Rossiter 7, Chris Neath 6, Paul Lee 5+2, Jason King 5, Ritchie Hawkins 3. Wasps: Frank Smart 12+2, Craig Watson 11, Scott Smith 10, Barrie Evans 3+1, Ben Howe 3, Lee Dicken 3, Carl Wilkinson 0.
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