Lakeside 47 Wolves 46

Two crucial refereeing verdicts in the same heat proved decisive as Wolves narrowly failed to post their first away win of the Elite League season.

A nightmare start that saw the visitors 10 points adrift after just three races was gradually eradicated on a slick Arena surface.

Wolves, with Fredrik Lindgren and Peter Karlsson dominant, hauled themselves back and with just two heats left had got within a point.

With the Swedes having the crucial choice of gates in the decider, Wolves knew that parity in the penultimate race would give them every chance of victory.

And their spirits rose as lively reserve Ricky Wells made the perfect start from the unfancied gate four – only for referee Dan Holt to call it back.

TV replays appeared to confirm Wells’ only offence was to do his job too well.

At the second attempt it was Ludvig Lindgren, displaying plenty of confidence all night, who got the drop.

But as he entered the third turn, Lakeside’s Robert Mear got underneath and eased him wide.

Lindgren, rapidly running out of room in any event, then picked up drive, reared and had to bale out.

The rider reckoned contact on the entry to the corner had affected his line but out of the re-run he went and the Hammers’ 5-1 secured them the overall win.

That still left Wolves needing a last-heat 3-3 or better for a league point and, when Piotr Swiderski made a superb start, there was clearly work to be done.

But the Pole locked up on the first bend, straightened up and took out team-mate Lee Richardson.

Swiderski was disqualified and a shaken Richardson stood down for the re-run in which Karlsson and the elder Lindgren were all the way winners over Adam Shields.

When asked, Lindgren makes no secret of his dislike for the circuit – it’s invariably mentioned in the match programme – but like the top professional he is, the Wolves No 1 gets on with the job.

A first race blemish aside, with an error on the pits turn leaving him last, Lindgren was untroubled.

Karlsson, by contrast, just loves racing against Lakeside home or away and heat 13, where he was edged out of second spot by Richardson, is the only one of 17 races against the Hammers this year which he has failed to win.

With Wells and the younger Lindgren contributing valuable points – the Lindgren brothers combined for a heat seven which put Wolves right back in contention – it was another so near, so far night.

By Tim Hamblin