Perfect Wolverhampton Wolves double to tame Lions
In-form duo Jacob Thorssell and Sam Masters both went unbeaten to help Wolverhampton to a 56-34 win over Midland rivals Leicester at Monmore Green last night.
It was a solid all-round performance to earn a result which moved the Parrys International Wolves to within three points of league leaders Somerset – the side they travel to tomorrow as they continue their search for their first win on the road this season.
The opening two races were won by former Monmore stalwarts on the visiting side. Ricky Wells claimed the first after Lions skipper Hans Andersen broke the tapes before 2002 title winner David Howe took the chequered flag in his first race as guest reserve for his hometown club.
Debutant Jonas B Andersen ran out of room on the opening bends of the third, but thankfully Masters flew to another win to keep the gap at two.
A domino effect saw Scott Nicholls bring down Wolves man Thorssell in the opening bends of the fourth, with the Leicester No.5 being disqualified.
And Wolves took full advantage in the rerun with Thorssell picking himself up from the dirt to coast to victory while guest reserve Tom Bacon cleverly cut back to the inside on lap two to storm under Howe to put the hosts in front for the first time.
That was the first of three straight 5-1s to the Wolves with Masters and Andersen making the gate in the fifth and Wolves’ new signing rode smartly to hold off his Leicester namesake.
Howarth chopped the nose off his opponents as he cut across from the outside gate in the seventh while Schlein resisted the inside charge down the back straight from Nicholls as the Wolves moved into 27-15 lead.
Thorssell and Howarth added another race win to their name in the two following races before Masters and Andersen made their quick reactions count as the three and four partnership raced to their second successive 5-1 to move the hosts 16 in front.
Leicester looked set for their first maximum of the night in the 10th before Schlein switched back to the inside intelligently to come under Robson on the entrance to lap three. And Howarth was able to claim third as he narrowly avoided Robson around the outside on the final bend as the Leicester man straightened up with machinery problems.
Thorssell made it a hat-trick of wins in the 11th after an exciting battle with Wells before Wolves wrapped up the victory in Heat 12. Lions’ tactical substitute Wells got the better of his rivals, but team-mate Wright’s bike packed up on the start-line.
