Wolves’ six-match speedway winning streak was finally snapped in a desperately close encounter at Poole.

The visitors led by four points with just three heats left, but the Pirates had top stars Hans Andersen and fit-again Chris Holder lined up for two of them.

A 5-1 over Peter Karlsson and Fredrik Lindgren in heat 13 levelled the scores and when Tai Woffinden brought down Bjarne Pedersen in the penultimate race and was disqualified.

The Pirates took a precious two-point advantage into the decider.

Skipper Karlsson won to inflict the only defeat of the night on Andersen, but the Dane managed to fend off Lindgren’s challenge for third place to give the home side a rare victory.

Wolves sorely missed Adam Skornicki, a mainstay of last year’s title-winning Poole team, who was riding in the Polish championship semi-finals. Rider-replacement for his outings brought just two points.

On the bright side Ty Proctor was again a trump card at reserve, laying waste to the Pirates’ suspect lower order to rattle up paid 14 as he got the full seven outings.

Nicolai Klindt also continued his recent good form with paid 10.

Victory would have enabled the Parrys International Wolves to leapfrog Swindon to the top of the Elite League, but Poole’s big guns had just enough.

Poole: Hans Andersen 13+1, Chris Holder 12+1, Bjarne Pedersen 9+1, Joe Screen 5, Ben Wilson 3+1, Daniel Davidsson 3, James Holder 1.

Wolves: Ty Proctor 12+2, Peter Karlsson 11, Nicolai Klindt 8+2, Fredrik Lindgren 6+1, Tai Woffinden 5, Hynek Stichauer 2+1.