MANY had already written the final chapter of this story – but Wolves clearly failed to read the script.

The injury-hit visitors arrived here with no chance – or so the form and pundits would have had you believe.

But led by Freddie Lindgren, Ty Proctor and Robert Miskowiak, they came within a whisker of springing the surprise of the season.

In truth, the visitors were never likely to overturn the 15-point deficit they had conceded in their first-leg hammering at the hands of rampant Pirates.

But considering many felt last night’s clash would be little more than a dead rubber, they put up an extraordinary fight to almost leave Poole’s record-breaking unbeaten run in tatters. Almost.

However, it was a case of so close, yet so far for Wolves as Pirates’ in-form star again took centre stage.

They must be sick of the sight of Pirates and, in particular, the Dorset club’s supremely gifted Darcy Ward.

As they claimed a fifth win over Wolves in 2012, there was no doubt about who emerged the Poole hero.

Only a breathtaking effort from the Australian sensation denied Wolves victory over a home side which failed to cope fully with the absences of injured Dennis Andersson and ill Adrian Miedzinski.

In a stunning performance that included three victories over Grand Prix star Lindgren – one in a ‘man-on-man’ race – Ward went unbeaten against an opponent to ensure there would be no fairytale finale for the visitors.

And while Ward and fellow Turbo Twin Chris Holder claimed a brilliant heat-15 maximum to confirm victory, some of the plaudits must also go to reserve duo Ricky Kling and Todd Kurtz as they did likewise in the penultimate race to breath fire into the Pirates revival.

For a match with little riding on it – given the first-leg result – there was action aplenty as Wolves held the lead from the third to the 13th heat on an exciting night that gave the public good value for money.

Lindgren set the tone of the strong Wolves challenge as, fresh from beating Holder to triumph in Saturday’s Swedish Grand Prix, the Wolves number one again defeated his Pirates counterpart.

Kurtz displayed his gating skills to claim a comfortable tapes-to-flag success in heat two – with Kling battling from the back to register the first heat advantage.

But Pirates’ depleted resources were exposed when Sam Masters and Poole-born Jordan Frampton, guesting for Andersson, were condemned to a 5-1 defeat in the most emphatic style by Proctor and Lindgren.

In his trademark swashbuckling style, Ward used every inch of the track to twice rocket round the outside of Miskowiak to claim an absorbing fourth race. Kling’s last place, though, meant Pirates trailed 13-11.

Pirates again paid a heavy price for the absences of Miedzinski and Andersson as Lindgren and Pontus Aspgren inflicted the most straightforward of 5-1s on Frampton and Kurtz, the latter unfortunate to have been squeezed out on the opening turn.

Wolves continued to impress when they cut the aggregate lead to just seven points in heat six as Holder suffered a shock loss at the hands of Miskowiak, with Ricky Wells catching Masters to complete a 4-2.

Surprisingly trailing by eight, Pirates boss Neil Middleditch called a ‘man-on-man’ clash – the match race which has replaced the tactical ride in this year’s revamped Knockout Cup.

It saw Ward locking horns with Lindgren and the Pirates ace roared clear – leaving his rival to throw in the towel and show his frustration on his return to the pits.

That three-point success put Pirates trimmed the Wolves match lead to 22-17.

Ward continued his blistering form in a shared seventh heat before Aspgren and Ashley Morris claimed a 4-2.

Things were certainly not going to plan for Pirates but some well-timed tinkering from Middleditch – and yet another text-book piece of team riding from Ward – turned the tide.

Sent out for his rider replacement appearance alongside reserve change Kling, the former world under-21 champion slowed dramatically before brilliantly guiding his team-mate to a much-needed maximum.

Holder took his first chequered flag of the meeting at the third attempt but Pirates’ unbeaten start to the season remained in danger at 33-30 adrift.

Ward’s heroics continued as he forced leader Lindgren into a mistake to mastermind a 4-2 alongside Kling.

Holder and Ward stamped their authority to win shared heats 12 and 13 as Pirates claimed an aggregate victory – although Wolves maintained their narrow one-point advantage in the second leg.

Just when it looked as if the Turbo Twins would once again be required to save the day, reserves Kling and Kurtz produced a superb effort to all but seal victory on the night.

Wolves needed a special performance to salvage something for their efforts – but it was Ward and Holder who once again stole the show.

Proctor got out in front from the tapes but Ward passed his rival before Holder, who slipped to the back at one stage, battled spectacularly through traffic to send the crowd wild.

In the end it was a predictable finale – but not before Wolves had added some twists to an entertaining plot.

• Pirates’ bid to equal a club record 14 matches unbeaten continues with an Elite League trip to Peterborough tonight.