Wolves cruise to Eastbourne win

This clash, with Lewis Bridger around, was certainly feisty enough and the action still comes out of the sport's very top drawer.

But, make no mistake, the Eagles were a well beaten side long before Fredrik Lindgren and maximum man Peter Karlsson rounded off the night with yet another of their dominant heat 15 5-1 successes, the final score 55-39 in favour of Wolves.

The Parrys International Wolves simply carried far too much clout in the top order to be troubled by an Eastbourne outfit still sorely missing former Monmore track record holder David Norris.

Rider-replacement yielded but a single point for the veteran, still recovering from a nasty arm injury, but even a Norris in his prime would have struggled to put a spoke in the wheels of this Wolverhampton juggernaut.

Karlsson recorded a full house and Lindgren dropped just a solitary point to Davey Watt in the opening race while Tai Woffinden, Adam Skornicki and an ultra-quick Nicolai Klindt all gave good backing.

Wolves could afford to be out-scored again at reserve, where Ty Proctor struggled to handle Simon Gustafsson in their five meetings and Hynek Stichauer, though giving Eagles number one Watt a scare with a fast run round the boards, continues to improve without raking in the points.

Skipper Karlsson, who at 39 is more than twice the age of 19-year-old Bridger, showed all the maturity and track craft he has accumulated in a long and distinguished career to defeat the teenager in heat seven.

Beaten out of the start, he pushed and probed on the inside line before giving it the gas and sweeping round the Eagle on lap three as the pair exited the pits bend.

It was vintage stuff from the old maestro, but even he was to be outdone by his young Swedish compatriot Lindgren three heats later – again it was Bridger on the receiving end.

The determined Klindt did well to beat off Bridger's spirited challenge and the Eastbourne man then tucked in with Cameron Woodward to keep Lindgren at the back.

Time and again the Wolves number one threatened a double pass and, on each occasion, the Eagles pairing managed to maintain close order and fend him off.

But just when all seemed lost, on the final lap Lindgren turned his machine virtually inside out on the apex of turn one, got his wheels in line and scorched under both his rivals – an extraordinary manoeuvre.

Even then 'Fast Freddie' came under pressure from the Eastbourne pairing off the final turn but managed to beat both to the flag.

There was consolation for the British under-21 champion Bridger in heat 12 when he managed a robust inside pass on Woffinden for a six-point tactical ride win.

The previous race had seen Watt also don the black and white helmet colour, but Karlsson got the drop on the Aussie from the tapes and rode a typically crafty varied line to keep him at bay.

Watt's total reflected his non-stop effort – a fine, persevering last-bend pass on Woffinden in heat five – but the Eagles are a side built for strength in depth.

While Gustafsson was a trump card at reserve, their second-highest averaging rider Lukas Dryml had an absolute shocker.

His sole contribution was a needless, muscular, last-lap inside pass on team-mate Kling in heat nine for third spot.

Some form of natural justice was done when Kling was given Dryml's final ride but Wolves, now back on top of the Elite League, won't waste time worrying over that.