Sam Masters seals victory as Wolves gain their revenge

Skipper Masters pulled off a crucial win in the 15th heat at Monmore in the second leg of their bank holiday double-header against the Aces.

Earlier in the day, the Aces had edged the first instalment in Manchester by the finest of margins when the match ended 45-45 after 15 heats – meaning it went to a Super Heat to determine the winner.

But Wolves gained revenge on their home track in another breathless contest last night,on a day which saw Luke Becker return to the line-up after recovering from a broken leg. Wolves had taken an early lead with Steve Worrall and Sam Masters taking a 5-1 in the first heat of the night. That was followed by a 4-2 thanks to Zach Cook and Leon Flint in the second heat.

Wolves had stretched their lead to 10 points by the end of heat six. However, from there, they failed to capitalise, allowing the Aces to cut the lead to just two points going into the final heat.

But a captain’s ride by Sam Masters saw Wolves home when he took the 15th and final heat with Belle Vue’s Brady Kurtz and Dan Bewley. That 3-3 final leg results preserved Wolves’ slim advantage and saw them claim victory.

Earlier, Wolves’ trip to Manchester had resulted in a Sports Insure Premiership classic.

A 45-45 draw over the programmed 15 races saw them battle out their first ever Super Heat, but they were denied an additional league point in the final seconds of action.

The Monmore men opened with a 5-1 from Steve Worrall and Sam Masters and were even eight points up with just three races to go.

But the hosts reeled off a hat-trick of heat advantages to draw level at the end of the programmed heats.

A 4-3-2-0 scoring system then comes into play for the Super Heat and despite Ryan Douglas taking the chequered flag, Luke Becker was passed by Dan Bewley and then Brady Kurtz on the very final bend to deny Wolves the extra point.

BELLE VUE 45: Dan Bewley 12, Brady Kurtz 10+1, Charles Wright 7, Tom Brennan 6+1, Jaimon Lidsey 6+1, Jake Mulford 2+1, Paco Castagna 2.

WOLVERHAMPTON 45: Ryan Douglas 9, Steve Worrall 8, Luke Becker 7+1, Leon Flint 7+1, Sam Masters 6+2, Rory Schlein 5, Zach Cook 3+1.

Belle Vue beat Wolverhampton 5-4 in Super Heat