Wolves speedway take the trophy

Returning Wolves speedway captain Peter Karlsson got a hero's welcome at Monmore Green last night - and then showed the fans what they had been missing.

The Swede powered to a maximum - Tai Woffinden thoughtfully pulling over in the final heat to make it a full five threes on the Karlsson chart - as Wolves put their first silverware of the new season in the cabinet after a 57-36 win over Birmingham, winning the BBC WM Trophy 103-80 on aggregate.

Sterner tasks lie ahead, by no means the least of them Saturday's Elite League opener at Eastbourne.

But, even after just two matches, there are already good reasons to suspect that 2011 has the makings of a vintage year for the Parrys International Wolves.

Top-end strength? Check. No 1 Fredrik Lindgren glided to a four-ride paid maximum which began as he shoved Brummies top gun Krzysztof Kasprzak towards the fence in heat one and ended 12 races later with him powering under the same opponent, as Karlsson simultaneously passed on the outside.

Karlsson himself showed his Monmore class by going from fourth to first inside a lap in his opening race.

And the rejuvenated Woffinden dropped just two points from his five rides, looking lean and sharp after his winter diet.

Middle-order back-up? Check. Ludvig Lindgren, having now sorted out which engine is in which frame after his Perry Barr mishap, looks tailor made for the No 2 berth in partnership with his elder brother. He put in good work all night and was not remotely flattered by his paid nine return.

Ty Proctor is still searching for the perfect set-up with regard to the new silencers.

But while that remains, for the moment, elusive then out and out determination will have to serve instead. A predatory cutback took him past Daniel Nermark and Theo Pijper in heat nine and, three races later, he produced two aggressive inside passes to go from third to first.

Reserve capability? Check. The Ricky Wells-Tyson Burmeister partnership is very much a work in progress, due to the youth of the former and the inexperience of the latter.

Wells, but for missing out in the tightest of calls on the line in heat eight - riders were lining up for the next race before referee Graham Flint made his decision on the video replays - would have scored in every race.

Burmeister showed plenty of courage to lead briefly in the penultmate race, after a four abreast cavalry charge to the third turn.

He also turned on the afterburners in the seventh, scorching round the Brummies' pair on the first corner only to find Karlsson occupying the precise piece of track for which he was aiming and having to throttle off.

For the visitors, former Wolf Ales Dryml was admirably consistent and bagged the full six on a double-point tactical outing in heat eight - a clever selection by team boss Graham Drury.

Ironically, Drury appeared on much safer ground when nominating the pacy Danny King in the 14th only for his selection to be pinned at the back while young hopeful Kevin Wolbert scooted round at the front.

The promising German bagged two wins in a performance of rich promise, but even he couldn't take the spotlight from Karlsson.

By Tim Hamblin