Birmingham 48 Wolves 47

It’s reckoned to be Britain’s closest speedway derby but, for the first 10 heats, the journey home for the Wolves fans must have looked considerably longer than the 13 or so miles which actually separate the two circuits.

Again second best out of the starts – just as they had been in Monday’s narrow win against the same opposition at Monmore – Wolves were generally outridden, too.

Only the brilliance of No 1 Fredrik Lindgren, who equalled the fastest time at Perry Barr this season in heat one, was keeping them afloat.

Yet the visitors, against all the odds, rallied and could even have snatched victory at the death.

At 12 points down and with one double-point tactical already played, Wolves needed inspiration.

They got it with yet another of those 8-1 successes that the Lindgren and Ty Proctor combination have produced over the last few years, the Swede’s lightning cutback taking him to the head of affairs and the Aussie motoring along comfortably in second spot.

It was a welcome lift for Proctor, who had started brightly only to be left on the start line in heat five amid a cacophony of expensive metallic noises from his engine.

It took him one ride on his spare to find the right set-up before he combined with Lindgren for the eight points.

Although Birmingham responded with a 5-1 of their own, Wolves got back in the hunt when Lindgren nipped past Edward Kennett in the 13th to be joined promptly by Peter Karlsson, the captain easing aside his rival exiting the pits turn.

Wolves had choice of gates in the last race and, with the Swedish contingent looking likely to repeat their dominance, the penultimate heat was clearly pivotal.

The visitors needed a heat advantage with Tai Woffinden pelting clear – Lindgren aside, he was the only Wolf to take the chequered flag all night – as Ricky Wells tried desperately to split King and the Brummies’ trump card, Claus Vissing.

Wells actually got alongside King on lap three only to grind to a halt and all but confirm the home team’s victory.

Lindgren and Karlsson duly did it again in the last. Karlsson, full of speed following extensive adjustments to his machinery throughout the meeting, simply flew to the front and was swiftly joined by Lindgren who went on to claim his fifth win of the night.

Karlsson survived a huge scare when he picked up grip out of the pits turn – Woffinden had suffered similarly earlier at the same spot and produced a remarkable ‘save’ – but managed to get the bike down and retain enough momentum to hold his position.

The away point gained cancelled out the one lost in Monday’s match – but until Wolves start winning on the road, the play-offs remain as far off as ever.

By Tim Hamblin