Wolves face tough task in second leg

After a bright opening set of races last night, it was the visitors who dominated proceedings from mid-meeting as they claimed the final nine races.

It was Sheffield who opened with a 4-2 but the hosts responded with a hat-trick of heat results with the same scoreline.

Zach Cook made a super quick getaway from the inside in Heat Two and after initially being squeezed out on the opening bends, Rising Star Leon Flint refused to give up and rounded former Wolf Drew Kemp on the run to the line to snatch third.

Wolves took the lead for the first time in Heat Three; they gated on a 5-1 and whilst Luke Becker held his position out front, Ryan Douglas was passed by Josh Pickering on the entry to lap two.

Flint was electric away from the tapes to help him on his way to a big win during Heat Four whilst Rory Schlein had to settle for third after Richard Lawson came through for second down the back straight of the opening lap. The visitors closed the gap in the fifth when Sheffield’s guest No.1 Robert Lambert charged under Douglas on the final lap before the run of 4-2s continued in Heat Six as the hosts restored that four point lead courtesy of Steve Worrall and Sam Masters.

The first shared race of the semi-final came in Heat Seven with 2012 World Champion Chris Holder re-passing Cook in an entertaining opening lap before former Wolf Howarth picked up his second race win in another 3-3 in Heat Eight. Sheffield levelled the scores in the ninth when Douglas and Becker were outgated by visiting guest duo Kemp and Lawson before a third 3-3 followed in Heat Ten.

It was won by Sheffield’s Josh Pickering and whilst Worrall sat comfortable in second, Masters had to work hard to fend off the charge from Holder. The visitors reeled off three straight 4-2s to move six ahead and a shared race in the penultimate heat meant the Wolves would trail heading to South Yorkshire.

And despite Masters leading Heat 15, he was eventually passed by both Lambert and Lawson as the visitors claimed a final 5-1 to give them a ten point advantage heading into Thursday night’s second leg at Owlerton Stadium.

Sports Insure Premiership Play-Off, Semi-Final, 1st leg

WOLVERHAMPTON 40: Sam Masters 7+1, Steve Worrall 7, Ryan Douglas 6, Zach Cook 5+2, Leon Flint 5+1, Rory Schlein 5, Luke Becker 5.

SHEFFIELD 50: Robert Lambert 12+1, Richard Lawson 10+1, Kyle Howarth 8, Josh Pickering 8, Chris Holder 6, Drew Kemp 4, Jason Edwards 2.