Wolverhampton Wolves wobble proves costly
Wolverhampton’s mid-meeting wobble proved costly as a six-point lead evaporated in a 49-41 loss at Somerset Rebels last night.
The Parrys International Wolves clung on to hope of taking something home right up until the end but top scorer Jacob Thorssell’s win in a shared heat 15 proved in vain, writes Andy Mitchell.
Ashley Morris, recently pushed up into the main body of the team, made the perfect start in a 5-1 with Thorssell in support and world champion Jason Doyle unable to lay a glove.
Wolves again hit the front from the off in heat two with Cameron Heeps, a former Somerset rider, holding a sensible line to comfortably win a 3-3.
Kyle Howarth then made the most of a strong gate and Sam Masters held off the challenge of Charles Wright at the back to extend to six points Wolverhampton’s lead.
The rival reserves hit the front from the off in heat four only for Rory Schlein to battle back with a chop up the inside on lap two but Jack Holder denied Nathan Greaves a point on the back straight of the final lap.
A track grade seemed to aid the hosts with Wright and Richard Lawson grabbing a 5-1 from the tapes in the fifth before Schlein got the better of Doyle and stretched his lead throughout a shared sixth.
Heat seven looked to be heading the same way until the Rebels levelled matters when Jonas Jeppesen forced his way around the outside of Howarth who looked up at the referee’s box as he hit the deck.
Jake Allen and Bradley Wilson-Dean stood firm from a tight start to put Somerset ahead for the first time and another maximum followed as Lawson trapped with Wright’s decision to attack the boards killing off Schlein’s tenacious pursuit.
Doyle went from first to third as Howarth took the outside run but having stayed there, he got picked off as Wilson-Dean joined his colleague in another Somerset 5-1.
Schlein came in as tactical substitute in heat 11 but could not resist Holder’s pace from the outside while Thorssell stayed out in front.
Wright took the 12th but Howarth and Heeps displayed strong team-riding credentials to stay within 10.
Doyle’s start to the 13th was on the money but Thorssell and Schlein split the hosts and Masters leading a 4-2 from the gate in the 14th meant Wolves needed only a heat advantage to return home with a consolation point.
But while Thorssell made the most of an untidy start from Doyle, Schlein got stuck at the back.
