Reading back to form.

Reading pulled off one of their best performances of the season and bounced back from Monday's home defeat in style, with an emphatic moral-boosting 58-37 win over Wolverhampton Wolves on Wednesday evening at Smallmead Stadium.

The win on the night and the subsequent bonus point moves the Bulldogs back up to second place in the Elite League table, just one point behind leaders Swindon and puts them back in the driving seat in the race for a top two place and home advantage in the Championship play-offs.

Team manager Jim Lynch was delighted with the win, he enthused: "That was a great team performance and was a perfect response to Monday night - I couldn't have asked any more of them."

Matej Zagar was in tremendous form for Reading scoring 14 points from five rides. Travis McGowan was next best with 10 (paid 12), but it was difficult to single any rider out as they all played their part in what as a vitally important victory.

For the Wolves, Peter Karlsson and Billy Hamill led the way with 12-points apiece.

The Bulldogs got the evening off to a perfect start with Greg Hancock and Janusz Kolodziej racing to a 5-1 over Peter Karlsson and Christian Heffenbrock.

Heat 2 was a 3-3, with Mark Lemon defeating Magnus Karlsson and William Lawson, and then a 4-2 from McGowan and Charlie Gjedde in heat 3 increased Reading's advantage to 12-6.

Zagar pulled off a super inside pass of Fredrik Lindgren on the third lap to win heat 4 and with Lemon beating Magnus Karlsson for third place, the Bulldogs helped themselves to a 4-2.

Peter Karlsson took the chequered flag in a shared heat 5, and then another 5-1 from Hancock and Kolodziej in heat 6 put Reading into a twelve-point lead (24-12).

Hamill in as a tactical ride and double points beat Zagar in heat 7, and Lemon passed Correy on the second lap, with the Wolves rider taking a tumble moments later. Referee Frank Ebdon excluded Hamill and awarded the race with the riders on the third lap, so the ensuing 6-3 to Wolves pulled the progressive score back to 27-18.

Lawson flew off the advantageous gate 4 to take the chequered flag in heat 8, but the Reading duo of Kolodziej and Lemon gave the Bulldogs share of the points by finishing second and third.

McGowan made a great start to win heat 9, but then Gjedde pulled off one of the best outside overtaking manoeuvres of the season on the second lap to blast past Lindgren and Lawson and link up for a 5-1.

Hancock and Kolodziej made it 39-24 with a 4-2 in heat 10, and then Zagar defeated Peter Karlsson (tactical ride) and Heffenbrock in heat 11, which resulted in a Wolverhampton 5-3.

McGowan made the start in heat 12 and then team-mate Lemon blasted around the outside of Wolves pair of Lawson and Magnus Karlsson on the first two bends, resulting in another Bulldogs 5-1. The Reading maximum put them into an unassailable 47-30 lead with just three races remaining.

Heat 13 saw Zagar defeat Peter Karlsson and Hancock passed Lindgren on the opening lap to give the Smallmead men another 4-2.

Gjedde continued his impressive showing by charging around Hamill and Magnus Karlsson on the first two bends to win heat 14, with the resulting 3-3 making the scores 54-35 going into the final race of the night.

Heat 15 saw Zagar ride an impressive first couple of bends to emerge in front of Peter Karlsson and Hamill, and then McGowan passed Hamill on the third lap. This ensured Reading finished the night on a winning note, with the final heat 4-2 making the final score 58-37 to the high-flying Reading Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs are back in action next Monday, when they travel to third-placed Peterborough Panthers for more Elite League action at the East of England Showground (7.30pm).