Wolves 44 Poole 46 - analysis

Wolves 44 Poole 46

Spring is the time for new growth – but the Wolves side of 2012 may be a late-flowering one.

New-boys Pontus Aspgren and Lukasz Sowka will take time to bed in – precisely why Wolves have scheduled six matches before the Elite League action gets under way.

Click on the image on the right to see more pictures from the meeting. Pictures by John Hipkiss.

Last night's Elite Shield first leg against title favourites Poole underlined the fact. Wolves had top-end parity through Freddie Lindgren and Tai Woffinden, solidity with Ty Proctor and Ricky Wells and the bonus of blistering pace from Nicolai Klindt.

But as, effectively, a five-man team they were running to stand still, keeping their noses ahead only by virtue of some stunning passing in the first half of the meeting.

Lindgren picked off his fellow Grand Prix star Chris Holder on the inside in heat one and repeated the dose five races later against Adrian Miedzinski.

And Wells eased his way round Todd Kurtz in the fourth before winning a stern pass and repass struggle with Sam Masters in heat eight for second place behind Ricky Kling.

But if one moment emphasised Monmore's reputation for entertainment it came in heat seven as Woffinden scattered the team riding of Darcy Ward and Dennis Andersson to the winds with a majestic surge up the inside of both coming out of the fourth turn.

Woffinden had to go into the pits turn at a far narrower angle – and much greater speed – than seemed conducive with emerging in one piece, never mind retaining the lead. Yet somehow he retained enough control out by the fence to keep ahead and go on to claim the win.

The speedy Klindt beat Holder by a wide margin in the fifth and combined with Proctor in heat eight to edge Wolves four points clear.

It could have been better, Kling surprising Proctor by taking second place when Wolves looked set for a 5-1 and a six-point advantage.

Indeed, that was the last time that a home rider was first to the flag as Poole successfully chipped away at the deficit before three successive tied heats left the teams all square going into the last.

With Ward at the back, Klindt's pace into the third and fourth turn looked likely to take him round Holder and away. But the Poole No.1 is a wily competitor and ran Klindt so wide into the deep shale that the home rider was left for dead in fourth.

The result leaves Poole almost certain to deny Wolves a third successive Shield victory when the two meet in tomorrow's return leg. But it's how the new buds emerge in the summer that will decide the Monmore team's season.

By Tim Hamblin