Wolves fared better than on their previous Elite League visit to Belle Vue but still lost to a depleted Aces by 49-41.

The Manchester side, already weakened by the absence of the still injured Lukasz Jankowski and Billy Forsberg, who was away to contest the Swedish Under-21 championship which would be rained off.

They were further hampered by the loss of Patrick Hougaard and Joe Screen to injury.

With Premier League riders Jason Lyons, Simon Lambert and Kevin Doolan filling in, Wolves’ first away victory of 2008 looked a distinct possibility – but it was not to be.

The visitors showed resilience in the early heats, with skipper Fredrik Lindgren passing Charlie Gjedde to win heat 5 and level the scores at 15 apiece.

New signing Morten Risager and Nicolai Klindt produced the move of the night to go either side of Robert Ksiezak on the back straight in heat 8 and level things up again.

Two successive home 5-1s followed to effectively seal the Monmore men’s fate, with Jesper B Monberg’s poor gating a factor in these defeats.

Monberg said: “This is not my favourite track.”

David Howe showed some flashes of his old form, taking second behind Gjedde in heat 7, and was chasing Lyons in the penultimate race when his chain broke, causing partner Klindt to fall in avoidance.

The race was awarded as a win for Birmingham skipper Lyons, who showed he had lost none of his form following his many years with the Aces, with Howe excluded as the cause of the stoppage.

Howe said: “We’ve made some radical changes to my machines in the last few days and at least I could score points, and I’d have got more if my chain hadn’t snapped.”

There were few passing moves on a night of fairly subdued racing on the tight Kirkmanshulme Lane track, although Lindgren was in battling mode, taking Doolan for second in the opening race and looking determined as he headed home Jason Crump in the final heat.

The Swede said: “I had to spoil his maximum.”

Klindt looked useful once again on a track he enjoys, although he did not quite match his previous appearance at the Vue when he headed home Crump, while Risager has settled well into Wolves colours.

Chris Neath deputised for Ludvig Lindgren, who was set to line up alongside Forsberg at Avesta, and chipped in a couple of points from the reserves race, but seemed reluctant to get stuck in at times.