Wolves 56 Lakeside 40

But the home side did so at a cost, with skipper Peter Karlsson certain to miss the second leg with a broken collarbone. The skipper took a major purler in heat 11, when Stuart Robson fell directly in front of him.

While Karlsson was stood down from the rest of the meeting, the Hammers also took a short-term hit – a likely 8-1 heat advantage with Lee Richardson on a double-point tactical ride was reduced to a 6-3 in the rerun after the inevitable exclusion of Robson.

The Parrys International Wolves immediately stretched their advantage to 16 points with a dominant 5-1 from the resurgent Adam Skornicki and feisty Ty Proctor.

But that was where the margin stayed, as the Hammers packed in behind Fredrik Lindgren to share the next and saw lightning trapper Jonas Davidsson blast out of the gate to win the last two races.

Davidsson, to be fair, is more than just a quick starter and won arguably the race of the night against Proctor in heat seven.

The Aussie drove through on the inside coming into turns three and four – spectators in the temporary stand there must have loved their prime view – and then sold the dummy on the pits turn, nipping back up the inside as the Swede tried to run him wide.

Davidsson had the last word, though, regaining the lead with an inside run to take the full return from his tactical ride.

If that was the best of the action – and there was passing galore throughout the evening – then the next two races cannot have been far behind.

Proctor was long gone at the front in the eighth, but Nicolai Klindt so nearly joined him. He was caught out when Joonas Kylmakorpi slipped by, but soon regained the position and gave chase to the persevering Robson.

Klindt caught him, too, moving the rider wide on the pits bend only for Robson to battle past again.

Heat nine was right up there as well. Skornicki, having already taken Kauko Nieminen on the line in heat three and delighted the Monmore faithful two races later by rounding Richardson in great style, was clearly in the mood for more.

He moved Adam Shields out and looked to have nailed the pass. However, the resolute Aussie kept it wound on to retain a slight but significant lead.

This was great stuff between two experienced racers each putting full trust in the other, but Skornicki was not to be denied and eventually got excellent drive on the inside line from the pits bend to take the victory.

Throw in a high-velocity last lap pass of Robson by Lindgren, squaring off the pits bend exceptionally early to make a long straight, and it's easy to see why the Monmore circuit enjoys its racers' paradise reputation.

With Tai Woffinden, again complete with headcam, continuing a rich scoring vein and Chris Kerr also on the pace this was a fine overall performance.

Wolves, who also have a four-point bonus for finishing runners-up in the league table, must now turn it into a winning one.

In the other play-off, Coventry fought back from eight points down to snatch a 45-45 draw with Swindon in the first leg at Brandon.

But the Robins, with the second leg at home and an eight-point bonus for finishing top of the table, remain overwhelming favourites to progress.