Play-off bid gets blown off course

The Bulldogs were smarting from a combination of that summer reversal, Monday's home defeat to Coventry and the knowledge that a coveted top-two place in the play-offs is under threat.

They responded superbly in their final home league match, led in fine style by Matej Zagar.

So dominant were the Bulldogs that Premier League rider Ben Barker, covering Sam Simota's absence for a Czech league match, was the only home rider to run a last place.

Simota, for the record, top-scored for his Czech club last night and in that form one shudders to think what impact he might have had on this scoreline.

For Wolves' travelling fans the high spots were few and far between.

Billy Hamill took a double-point tactical victory in heat seven and was the only man to dent Zagar's scoresheet.

Skipper Peter Karlsson was also a winner, taking the flag two heats earlier.

But probably the only Parrys International Wolves rider to remember this meeting with any affection will be William Lawson.

Ironically the young Scot had failed to score in the July victory, despite making good starts and always being in the mix.

But he put that right in no uncertain style last night.

Although gate four had produced five successive winners, few punters would have been reaching for their wallets to back an extension of that run as Lawson came to the line in heat eight with 2005 Polish champion Janusz Kolodziej just inside him.

But the double-up reserve, not renowned for his lightning starts, made a smooth getaway and swept round the Smallmead circuit in fine style for a famous victory which was generously received by the home supporters in the finishing straight.

However, that pretty much wrapped up the high spots for Wolves as Reading widened their advantage down the meeting's home straight.

Even Freddie Lindgren had a disappointing evening. He got out of shape to concede what looked a nailed-on win over Zagar in his first race and was unfortunate when inadvertently hampered by Karlsson in his last.

In between he may have been held up by Lawson in heat nine which at least contributed, for the neutral spectator, to the best move of the night on an evening of largely processional racing.

The Wolves pair, tucked in behind Travis McGowan, were passed in one big surge round the bend one and two boards by Charlie Gjedde.

At least this meeting was not a lingering death for Wolves. With the fast fingers of referee Frank Ebdon on the two-minute warning button, their fate was decided swiftly - he was almost as quick as Zagar.

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