Injuries show in Wolves defeat

An already below-par season for Wolves speedway reached new lows last night with a dismal 24-66 defeat at Peterborough.

The under-strength side - missing Freddie Lindgren, Billy Hamill and Kenneth Hansen due to injuries - once again made very few decent starts and were unable to make up ground on the home riders, in what was one of the squad's heaviest losses since the formation of the Elite League in 1997.

The home side led by 26 points after just eight races, including six 5-1 heat advantages, and some began to wonder if the Wolves would even beat an opponent in the remaining heats.

Manager Peter Adams nominated Peter Karlsson for a tactical ride in heat 11 in an attempt to stem the onslaught, but this came to nought when the skipper pulled up with a puncture after two laps.

Karlsson later produced a fine sweep around the outside of Kenneth Bjerre on the second bend of heat 13, but he was quickly repassed half a lap later.

David Howe also suffered mechanical problems, while Magnus Karlsson's lack of form continued, the Swede barely looking like scoring a point despite making a good start in heat 14.

The same race saw guest Claus Vissing overtake former Wolf Christian Hefenbrock on a night where passing moves were an extreme rarity, while Hamill's replacement, Eastbourne's Adam Shields, took the Wolves' only win of the night in heat 9.

Danish stars Bjerre and Hans Andersen both went unbeaten for the home side, and Polish reserve Piotr Swiderski would have joined them had he not been slowed by machinery problems in heat 12.

The Wolves will be looking for an upturn in form when they visit the Lakeside Hammers tonight, as they attempt to wipe out the misery of what was one of the side's worst nights in recent memory.