MATCHES between these two clubs rarely disappoint in terms of entertainment and drama, and this one was no exception.
Unfortunately for the Buildbase Bees, however, their considerable efforts against both the adversity of injuries and a bang in-form home side saw them fall just short of taking an Elite League point from the meeting.
Star Swedish duo Peter Karlsson and Fredrik Lindgren may be at virtually opposite ends of the age spectrum, but they have quite some understanding when they race together in Heats 13 and 15 at Monmore, and the Bees simply couldn't break that combination.
Lindgren is now unbeaten from all 19 of his Elite League races on his home circuit this season, and Karlsson would also have gone through the card but for a stunning ride by Rory Schlein in Heat 6.
For effort alone, Bees probably deserved a point from the meeting with their depleted line-up being without two broken leg victims, and with numerous other team members riding after receiving treatment for injuries - none more so than Jordan Frampton, who keeps having to pick himself up and had to do so on three more occasions here!
An inauspicious start saw Bees concede maximum points in the first race once again as Karlsson shattered the Monmore track record - taking nearly half a second off it - and Nicolai Klindt showed his speed when he makes the start to follow his captain home.
But there was an immediate Coventry response, aided when Ty Proctor suffered mechanical problems just as the green light went on at the start, and Frampton was duly partnered to a 5-1 by the returning Filip Sitera, who held off Hynek Stichauer for second place.
Wolves hit the front in Heat 3 through Tai Woffinden and Adam Skornicki, but Edward Kennett moved in to challenge and exchanged places with Woffinden on two occasions before, as they went into the last lap with Kennett driving down the inside again, Woffinden suffered a puncture and had to limp home.
That was frustrating for him but doubly so for Frampton, who had fallen on turn one and was just unable to catch his opponent for third place.
A second Wolves 4-2 followed in Heat 4 as Lindgren kept his winning run going against a pressing Schlein, with Sitera just losing out on third place on the run to the line with Proctor making it around the outside.
Harris had suffered problems on parade and also in Heat 1, but he had all the speed and bravery required in Heat 5 to first move into second place through the narrowest of gaps on the back straight, and then go around Skornicki to take the lead midway through the race.
And Schlein also pulled off a terrific move in Heat 6, chasing Karlsson for the duration of the race before making it around the outside off the final bend, surprising the Wolves man and reaching the line just in front.
With Sitera holding a good third place over Klindt, it narrowed the gap to two points - and after a share in Heat 7, won again by Lindgren, Bees levelled in Heat 8 with another great effort by Frampton, this time holding Proctor at bay, whilst Ricky Wells rode a fine first two turns to outfumble Klindt, who could find no way past the young American.
The level scoreline didn't last however, as again Wolves carded two 4-2s on the trot - first from Skornicki and Woffinden, split by Schlein, in Heat 9, and then with Karlsson winning Heat 10 at a canter ahead of a battle between Kennett and Klindt after Frampton had hit the second-bend fence.
Stichauer spun and fell on the second bend in Heat 11 which made life easier for Wells, who was ahead of him at the time, as Lindgren held off a fierce Harris challenge in the early stages of the race.
And the next was shared too, with plenty of overtaking as Kennett caught and passed Woffinden going into the second lap, with Proctor making it around Frampton at a similar stage of the race.
Four points down, Bees needed to break the Karlsson/Lindgren combination on at least one occasion if they were to take something from the meeting, but the home pair got things spot-on in Heat 13, Karlsson clamping Harris as Lindgren surged round the outside, and then they simply cleared-off to double the Wolves advantage.
Heat 14 was more dramatic as Skornicki made his first poor start of the meeting as Kennett and Frampton hit the front. Skornicki and Frampton diced for second place, the Pole passing on the inside with Frampton regaining the place off turn four, and as they went into lap two, Skornicki switched back and took Frampton's front wheel with the Bees rider going into the fence.
On viewing the replay it was a straightforward decision for Tony Steele and somewhat baffling that it could possibly have been seen any other way, with Frampton having no option but to go down.
Skornicki was duly disqualified but it did hand a second chance to Proctor, who had been well adrift in the initial staging, and despite the Bees again taking the lead into the first bend, Proctor chased hard for three laps and finally managed to snatch third place from the gallant Frampton as they went up the back straight for the final time.
It was a move which secured victory for the home side, although that was always likely with Karlsson and Lindgren in the last heat, and it left Bees needing a share from that race to take a point back.
It wasn't to be, however - even though Lindgren found himself in unusual territory on turn one: outgated and seemingly with much work to do. But one sweet cut-back took him from fourth to first, alongside Karlsson, and that was job done, despite the thrusting efforts of Kennett to split the combination.
With Lindgren clearly in the form of his career, Wolves have two out-and-out No.1s at Monmore which is going to make this a hugely difficult place for any of the other Elite League sides to visit - Bees can take a great deal of pride from this performance, but ultimately it's the points that count, and they will be looking long and hard at how to get back to something resembling full strength in the weeks to come.
WOLVERHAMPTON 50 Peter Karlsson 3 2 3 3 2* = 13+1 Nicolai Klindt 2* 0 0 1 = 3+1 Tai Woffinden 1 1* 1 2 = 5+1 Adam Skornicki 3 2 3 X = 8 Fredrik Lindgren 3 3 3 2* 3 = 14+1 Hynek Stichauer 1 0 0 = 1 Ty Proctor R 1 2 1* 2 = 6+1