WOLVERHAMPTON paid the price for another slow start in a 55-35 defeat at King's Lynn on Thursday.

Parrys International Wolves had been successful in their trip to nearby Peterborough on Monday, but this time their attempted comeback was to no avail despite a series of wins from Nick Morris and Ryan Douglas.

Wolves, missing injured skipper Sam Masters, fell 20 points down after seven races against a fast-gating home side, and it took until Heat 9 for one of their riders to take the chequered flag in front.

By contrast the Stars coped far better on this occasion with the absence of their own No.1 Niels-Kristian Iversen, with the likes of Josh Pickering and Richard Lawson reeling off multiple wins, and Thomas Jorgensen enjoyed a field day at reserve.

Wolves conceded maximum points in the first two races, and although Douglas and Luke Becker kept Lewis Kerr out in Heat 3, the run of Stars winners continued and Pickering teamed up with Jorgensen for maximum points over Morris in Heat 4.

Becker emerged unscathed from a first-bend fall in Heat 5 but a tough night for the American went on as he was passed by Kerr in the re-run as Lawson took the first of back-to-back wins.

Pickering and Jorgensen then defeated the Douglas/Becker pairing to make it 31-11, before Morris finally put Wolves on the board in the ninth race whilst Drew Kemp picked up third place when Kerr hit mechanical trouble.

Douglas ended Jorgensen's unbeaten run in Heat 10 before Wolves had a further stroke of fortune in the next when race leader Pickering came to grief on the last lap, with Douglas smartly laying his machine down in avoidance.

Morris added a win as a tactical substitute in Heat 12, and another in the next race, but the visitors lacked the major advantages required to challenge for a league point.

Douglas collected his second win of the night in Heat 14 with Kerr preventing a Wolves 5-1 by passing Leon Flint for second place "“ before the Stars wrapped things up in a dramatic Heat 15 with Jorgensen passing Morris on the last bend for second place whilst Douglas came to grief.

Manager Peter Adams said: "They covered their rider replacement absence far better than we did, and it's a difficult track when you're not riding here regularly.

"We haven't got a very good record here over the years, but somehow we managed to "˜win' this match from Heat 7 onwards, but all the damage had been done by then!

"We're making a habit of not starting these away matches the way that we need to, so we'll obviously have to address that, and we will.

"I'm not concerned about the play-offs at all, I'm sure we'll be in the top four at the end of the day, and obviously it's then that you've got to be at your best."

Wolves now take a break from league action as they host Round 4 of the Premiership Pairs at Monmore Green on Monday (8pm).

KING'S LYNN 55: Richard Lawson 16, Thomas Jorgensen 14+3, Richie Worrall 10+1, Josh Pickering 9+2, Jason Edwards 3+2, Lewis Kerr 3, Niels Kristian Iversen r/r.
WOLVERHAMPTON 35: Nick Morris 13, Ryan Douglas 11, Steve Worrall 6+1, Leon Flint 3+1, Luke Becker 1+1, Drew Kemp 1, Sam Masters r/r.