Lucky 13 for Wolves at Monmore

With it came the 13th successive Monmore three-pointer – and the home team have provided 13 race winners.

Fredrik Lindgren simply oozed class on his way to five straight wins while the stylish Tai Woffinden posted the first of what seems destined to be many maximums in the black and gold.

All this plus three victories for skipper Peter Karlsson – yet Wolves made heavy weather of claiming the three points.

A brace of false starts and call-backs in heat eight saw the mechanically troubled Nicolai Klindt in and out of the pits three times during that race alone.

Adam Skornicki also had a lowly points return, although 'Sqora' was entitled to feel hard done by.

He led his first race only to see it re-run after Danny King's fall, and was clearly baulked in his second when Scott Nicholls reared and struggled to retain control.

A change of machine for his final ride clearly helped, but the popular Pole is currently struggling to find the good form he showed earlier in the season.

Skornicki will always be a terrace favourite at Monmore, but his Ipswich compatriot Robert Miskowiak made no West Midlands friends in a feisty Heat 10.

Danny King blocked Lindgren's run off the first turn but in doing so left a gap of which Ty Proctor promptly availed himself.

Lindgren picked his way masterfully through the traffic to hit the front and when Miskowiak reared on the last lap, Proctor shot into second.

But on the last turn Miskowiak hurled himself through on the inside and then straight onto the line of Proctor, who was already committed to the turn.

Somehow the Aussie managed to avoid fence and rider and still salvage third spot from the pressing King, but he was clearly unimpressed and words were exchanged after the race.

Wolves, six points to the good with three races left, managed Heat 13 with some delicacy. A 4-2 was the desired outcome, stretching the lead but avoiding exposure to the dreaded double-point tactical ride in the penultimate race.

A 4-2 was duly engineered, Lindgren leading all the way and Karlsson rounding Troy Batchelor before showing no interest at all in chasing down Nicholls.

Team manager Peter Adams adopted his best poker face afterwards but will have felt the end justified the means – especially when King's rolling start saw him win Heat 14.

Dawid Stachyra's third place meant Wolves needed a heat advantage for the happy ending.

Lindgren delivered with a fifth win while Karlsson swopped spots, with Nicholls in a splendid finale to another night's fine entertainment.