BRAVE Peterborough suffered a late collapse and lost 56-34 at Wolverhampton in front of the BT Sport cameras.
Crendon Panthers made a solid start in the early stages and went toe-to-toe with the home outfit but faded as the meeting progressed. Boss Carl Johnson admitted his side were beaten by the better team after failing to adapt to track conditions midway through the night. Johnson said: ”We started the meeting pretty well when the track was wet but once it dried out the Wolves boys come into their own and we just couldn’t compete from the start. “There were too many last places again and it’s extremely disappointing. “Even in heat 15 there, we were on a 5-1 and Scotty (Nicholls) gets a puncture. “That’s just our luck at the minute, it’s hard to take because we’re a better team than what we’re showing. It was a nightmare start for the Panthers with American Luke Becker taking the chequered flag alongside Jacob Thorsell for an opening heat maximum. The away side immediately hit back with back to back heat advantages levelling the scores in tricky conditions courtesy of race wins from Aaron Summers and newly crowned British Champion Charles Wright. Scott Nicholls then managed to split the Wolves pairing of Sam Masters and Ryan Douglas to limit the damage to two points. Wolves pairing Becker and Thorsell then picked up their second 5-1 of the night in a third straight heat advantage for the home side. Wright then traded places with Kyle Howarth in another Wolves 4-2. In the following heat, Johnson’s side responded with a maximum of their own as Ty Proctor flew from the outside gate to pick up his first points of the night and reduce the deficit to just six points. Another tenacious ride from Nicholls in heat nine saw him get the better of Wolves skipper Rory Schlein in a tense battle for second place. An eighth heat advantage in nine races followed for Peter Adams’ side with the unbeaten Masters partnering Howarth to extend the home sides lead to 14 points. The home side all but secured victory in heat 12 despite a battling effort from Nicholls and Wright who packed the minor placings. Things went from bad to worse for the Panthers with back to back maximums putting the away side 22 points behind with Hans Andersen taking a nasty fall when challenging for second in the penultimate heat. Peterborough return to Premiership action next Monday (7.30) as they face a short trip to another play off hopeful King’s Lynn. WOLVES 56: Jacob Thorsell 10+2, Sam Masters 10+2, Luke Becker 10, Nick Morris 9+2, Kyle Howarth 9, Rory Schlein 7, Ryan Douglas 1. PETERBOROUGH 34: Charles Wright 9+1, Scott Nicholls 8, Aaron Summers 6+1, Ty Proctor 4, Hans Andersen 3, Rohan Tungate 3, Nicolas Porsing 1.