SKIPPER Chris Harris could take plenty of personal pride from his Heat 13 and 15 wins at Monmore Green - but the Buildbase Bees as a whole found their neighbours again too strong around their own circuit.
Wolverhampton have yet to drop an Elite League point at home so far this season, and on the evidence of this display it is easy to see them taking all 48 available.
If the weakened Bees couldn't ever get within range of challenging for a point after a nightmare start, they did at least have the small consolation of breaking the usually impregnable partnership of Fredrik Lindgren and Peter Karlsson in Heat 13.
Harris and a fast-starting Olly Allen hit the front and team-rode well under big pressure, only for Lindgren to mount a last-bend challenge which proved to be just successful in terms of splitting the Bees, who still recorded a praiseworthy 4-2.
And there was more exciting action in Heat 15 with Karlsson this time partnered by Tai Woffinden, who shot inside both Harris and Allen to go from third to first on the second lap, only for Harris to hit back and re-pass the youngster for the second time in the meeting.
Such racing was, however, not going to make any significant difference to the overall outcome, because Wolverhampton were already cruising after going into a 17-6 lead in the first four heats.
Harris found himself mired in third place from the outside starting position in Heat 1 by Lindgren and Nicolai Klindt, and an initially promising start to Heat 2 from Filip Sitera was foiled when he appeared caught out by Chris Kerr's lock-up in front of him, and Ty Proctor took advantage of the gap off turn four.
It was the start of a trying night for Sitera, who found himself involved in several incidents, and he wasn't alone amongst the Bees' lower order in that respect.
Another 5-1 reverse in Heat 3 would have been utterly disastrous, but Edward Kennett at least prevented that with a firm move inside a slower Adam Skornicki going into turn three for the final time. Skornicki went down, but it did appear that Kennett was already through, an interpretation which the referee agreed with - but the shared heat lasted all of a couple of seconds as Jordan Frampton came down heavily on the last bend and sustained damage to his wrist.
The 3-2 was followed by a 4-2 in Heat 4, which provided some tremendous action after a re-run caused by Sitera crashing into the fence on the third bend.
Allen then thwarted Karlsson's every challenge, only for the Wolves skipper to make a late move on the inside. A close call went the home side's way, the evidence suggesting that Allen may well have held on - but any gain or loss there was immediately balanced out in Heat 5 when Bees received the verdict in an on-the-line decision after a terrific battle between Woffinden and Harris, Harris's inside move convincing the referee that he had got to the line first.
Bees were gradually getting to grips with the meeting, and shared Heat 6 with Ricky Wells getting the better of Klindt around the outside of turn two - but Frampton's disastrous night came to an end with another fall on the first bend of Heat 7, and he was then ruled out on medical advice.
A Wolves 4-2 put Bees in position to use a tactical ride in Heat 8, but Klindt's gating from the outside is frequently impressive, and he made it again over the double-points Allen, who had to be content with second place and four points to leave the margin at eleven points.
Allen was involved in more good racing in Heat 9, this time battling hard with Woffinden, who took control going into the second lap, but again it was a good third place for Wells ahead of a struggling Skornicki.
Wells, however, was next to hit the fence with a heavy impact on turn three in Heat 10, and the frustration for the Bees was that Kennett had headed Lindgren for the first two laps, only to have to do it again in the re-run - and, not surprisingly, the Wolves' No.1 made no mistake second time around.
The resultant 4-2 put the home side into a 13-point lead and left Harris going for double in Heat 11, but he was headed by Karlsson, Bees at least taking a race advantage courtesy of Wells capitalising on an error by Kerr on the last bend to come through on the inside.
There was controversy in Heat 12 when Wells and Sitera gated well to be holding position over Proctor, only for the Wolves rider to make his move on Sitera going into the second lap. The contact appeared clear, and the suggestion that Sitera baled out appeared bizarre given that he hit the fence before the air-fence even started, and Bees were unimpressed to see the green disqualification light - and probably less surprised that once again a re-run went against them as Woffinden and Proctor team-rode their way to a 5-1.
At 45-30, Wolves were probably looking at hitting the high-50s given their strength in Heats 13 and 15, but the events of the former race saw Bees collect a notable 4-2 thanks to the efforts of Harris and Allen, Harris becoming only the third visiting rider to defeat Lindgren around Monmore Green this season.
Skornicki suddenly joined the party after a point-less night to that stage by winning Heat 14 as Kennett was delayed by Kerr for three laps - Sitera's unhappy meeting having ended with a third disqualification, this time for locking up on turn four and forcing Kerr and Kennett into avoiding action, with the referee this time checking the replays before making up his mind.
Harris rounded off an entertaining meeting with another fine win in Heat 15 after the equally impressive Woffinden seemed to have pulled off a perfect second-lap move, but despite all the efforts elsewhere the Bees skipper was the team's only race winner, and that will perhaps be the biggest concern as decisions are taken this week.
WOLVERHAMPTON 54 Fredrik Lindgren 3 3 3 2 = 11 Nicolai Klindt 2* 0 3 1 = 6+1 Tai Woffinden 3 2 3 3 1* = 12+1 Adam Skornicki X R 0 3 = 3 Peter Karlsson 3 3 3 0 2 = 11 Chris Kerr 3 1 0 1 = 5 Ty Proctor 2* 1 1 2* = 6+2
BUILDBASE BEES 39 Chris Harris 1 3 4^ 3 3 = 14 Rory Schlein Rider Replacement Jordan Frampton X F = 0 Edward Kennett 2 1 2 2 2 = 9 Olly Allen 2 2 4^ 2 1 0 = 11 Ricky Wells 0 1* 1* X 1* 1 = 4+3 Filip Sitera 0 1 X 0 X X = 1
