games 40-49
match reports...
Game 40 – Chesterfield (3-2) by Gareth Venn, Rod Jones, Paul Lindsay, Matthew Kelly and Peter Davies (Red Passion’s five representatives as matchball sponsor)
Pre-match
background: Positive and optimistic after the victory at Colchester, but not 100
per cent confidence. Also, could Wrexham reach the AWS semi-finals for the first time in
years?
Conditions:
Dry, occasionally damp and mild.
Selection:
A home debut for Carl Griffiths; Cartwright kept place; Whitley is cup-tied.
Tactics:
Three men pushed up at times, with Owen supporting as well; Connolly operated in the
middle with Griffiths on the left; the midfield looked a little bit at sea without Ward
directing things.
Ebb and flow:
Generally quite well balanced; the Wrexham midfield was a bit lacklustre; the ball was
often played too long for the Reds’ frontmen.
Atmospherics:
Minimal – smallish crowd; Griffiths’ ‘I want to play for Wrexham
permanently’ goal celebration did create a bit of a ripple.
Goals:
Connolly gets pleasant bounce off defender; Chesterfield score with well-placed header;
Chalk floored and Griffiths tucks away penalty; Owen burst from right ends in
Wrexham’s third; Reds’ defensive error results in edge-of-the-box strike.
Incident:
Rockin’ Robin sits on tractor; Rockin’ Robin bows to injured Connolly in dugout;
Rockin’ Robin sits on gas compressor; three massive injuries – Connolly, Owen,
Hardy.
Post-match
verdict: Hard work but a win’s a win. Oh and by the way: we’re going to
Wembley.
Man of the
match: Carey
Battling
Game 41 –
Huddersfield (1-1) by Steve Hughes
Pre-match
background: With Griffiths and Whitley unavailable, could the Reds build on our
first away win in the leauge last Friday and victory over Chesterfield? Would Barry Horne
play?
Conditions:
Gloomy with a bit of drizzle, but nothing the old FA Cup magic couldn't overcome.
With the Yale Paddock unavailable (it looked like a freshly due rectangular allotment),
the Kop looked more like it should - loud and proud!
Selection:
No surprises, given that the loan signings were not in the frame.
Tactics:
We went for the victory and defended well when Huddersfield put the pressure on.
Defenders had enough confidence in Mark Cartwright to use back passes, and he didn't let
them down.
Ebb and Flow:
We 'bookended' the game with an excellent first 15 minutes, and an exciting last 10.
Huddersfield were buzzing for the latter part of the first half, and after Yorath
(probably) stoked then up at half-time. Ebb and flow sums it up.
Atmospherics:
The return of the 'Racecourse Roar' was good news, together with a packed away end, there
was a good atmosphere with nearly 9,000 fans making a lot of noise.
Goals:
An early goal from Karl had us dreaming of Round 5, but Allason equalised midway through
the first half.
Incident:
Plenty of attacking football from both sides. If Huddersfield had scored before
half-time (they hit the bar) they could have dominated. However, we could have
snatched it in the last five minutes (their keeper making two great saves).
Post-match
verdict: 'Cripes Batman, a real edge-of-your-seat heart stopper! Correct
Robin, but the question you must ask is can the team whose nick-name resembles your own
terrify the Terriers with the awesome away form that thrust them to the quarter finals so
very, very recently? Quickly, to the Batmobile. We must find our answer at the
McAlpine Stadium.' (To be continued..........)
Man of the match: Brammer won it,
but I would have gone for Dean Spink who, alongside Brian Carey, kept two quality strikers
reasonably quiet.
Pathetic
Game 42 – Preston (0-5) by Nathan Davies
Pre-match
background: A slight return to form saw an away win coupled with a victory over
Chesterfield in the Auto Windscreens Shield. However, now was not the time to be
caught dreaming about the twin towers as Preston brought their promotion bandwagon into
town. A precarious league position of 18th meant relegation was becoming a reality
Flynn could no longer hide from and victory was imperative. Those faithful fans who
had travelled to Preston in December for our flattering 3-1 reverse knew we would be in
for a real test.
Conditions:
Oh what a pleasure it is to sit on a cold piece of plastic, surrounded by rubble,
straining to hear a flagging PA system, watching a big, fat Robin waddle around the pitch
whilst eating overpriced food and watching your fingers turn blue. My idea of
heaven. I was disappointed it didn't rain. I had to settle for cold and miserable.
Selection:
Griffiths and Whitley were the fresh faces so badly needed although the remainder of the
team was merely a token reshuffle of the same old pack of cards which seems to be missing
a King of Hearts and dominated by useless Jokers. In comparison, Preston provided
their audience with an exciting blend of youthful, lower league talent who are destined to
play at a higher level. The Lilywhites attract 'name' players such as Nogan and
Eyres whilst in their prime. We merely send scouts to the local retirement homes to
find stars of yester-year dribbling into their soup and then snap them up on a lucrative
one-year deal. Rookie Robin Gibson was given a place on the bench alongside Ian Rush
and Dave Ridler.
Tactics:
Since Flynn had his Subbuteo set stolen from his nearby headquarters in Burnley (the man
displays such commitment) tactics have gone out of the window.
Ebb and Flow:
One way traffic for 90 minutes. A 5-0 trashing and we were lucky it was not 9.
After only 6 minutes Cartwright was in no man's land as Jackson thumped a header past him
for Preston's opening goal. Was Cartwright daydreaming about lesbian sex or fretting
about joining the dole queue? The whole team was just as bad as Hardy and even Carey
displayed co-ordination that made Bambi look like a 16-year-old Russian gymnast. 0-3
by half time thanks to Nogan, Macken and dreadful defending and the second half began with
Cartwright producing a number of fine saves before Eyres and Kidd completed a 0-5 drubbing
to the delight of the travelling goons from Preston who obscured the 'Flynn Out' chants
with their delirious cheers.
Atmospherics:
As I arrived to take my usual seat in the Yale Stand wing nearest the away end I noticed
that about 7 rows of seats had been reserved. They were marked off by police tape.
Maybe Paul Burrell had invited some of his famous friends to lend their support to
Wrexham? As kick off time approached the seats were still empty until a group of
Preston parents dragged their children into the area where some of the most vociferous
Wrexham fans spend their Saturday afternoons. I bet David Rhodes was up all night
planning this particular escapade. What an inspired idea to put arrogant and
sarcastic Preston supporters alongside staunch Welshmen. Whilst it would be nice if
everyone could live together in perfect harmony this is a mere idealistic notion and
boundaries have to be created. Any attempt to blur boundaries based on geography
will be doomed to failure and a football ground is the last place to make such an absurd
experiment. After 6 minutes, the kids and their parents were jumping for joy and
goading the incensed Red Army. The police advised the group of English invaders to
calm down and it worked until Kurt Nogan struck the second goal and the Preston fans
understandably celebrated and continued to goad their enemies. Wrexham fans
protested and the police were forced to remove the joyous North Enders many of who had
been reduced to tears by the dark atmosphere which threatened to explode at any minute.
The villains are not to be found amongst the Wrexham or Preston fans but at our
hapless club and the buffoon who thought he could rely on two diverse groups to come
together in peaceful respect for one another. Wrexham fans had little to shout about
and the afternoon turned into an exhibition of singing and passion from the Lancashire
louts who increased our crowd to an impressive 6,394.
Post-match
verdict: I am exiled in Nottingham and got up at 9.00am to travel back to North
Wales to watch this match. Why the hell do I bother? I actually find myself
willing the opposition to score more and add to our embarrassment as Griffiths appears to
need more evidence that Flynn has taken us as far as he can and has gone stale at a club
where the threat of the sack does not exist and serve as an added impetus. The real
disaster will be if we manage to escape relegation or get to Wembley as it will merely
paper over gaping chasms that need urgent attention. This is why I currently hate to
enter the Racecourse. You can only truly hate something you love (except
C*****r). Flynn helped saved this football club and he has the opportunity to do so
again by picking up his biro and writing his letter of resignation.
Man of the match: Jeff Whitley
(Manchester City player)
Valiant
Game 43 –
Huddersfield (1-2) by John Williams
Pre-match
background: After the despair of Saturday – Preston, home – some
restoration of pride was essential. Huddersfield’s form of late was inconsistent; so,
whilst fearing another hammering, at this club we learn to expect the unexpected.
Conditions:
A dampness in the air and a swirling wind that begins to pick up close to kick-off.
Selection:
I didn’t believe Flynn could possible pick Cartwright after Saturday. He did and it
was the right decision. With players cup-tied, Owen returns to midfield and Rush partners
Connolly.
Tactics:
For Wrexham it was not a case of sitting back. Connolly had the freedom to roam and when
he dropped deeeper he denied Huddersfield space in midfield. However, as we pushed
forward, we struggled to cope with the Terriers on the break.
Ebb and flow:
Huddersfield created early chances and looked strong. But Wrexham gradually came into the
game with good possession. It was, therefore, a bad time to go one-down. Wrexham responded
well: Chalk creating an excellent opportunity for Owen who shot wide. Our equaliser was
just about deserved, but celebrations were shortlived as Huddersfield break away to score
a second. We dominated possession in the second half, and whilst creating opportunities,
Huddersfield should have scored twice on the break.
Atmospherics:
Pre-match fireworks gave the impression of the European Cup Final rather than Round 4 of
the FA Cup. A tremendous, vocal away following gave our lads the inspiration lacking on
Saturday.
Goals:
A break down the Huddersfield right and Marcus Stewart gets his head to the cross. Hardy
turns provider, setting up Russell who took the chance well with Vaesen in the
Huddersfield goal closing him down. But within a minute, Thornley restores
Huddersfield’s lead as our defence our guilty of standing off and giving away space.
Incident:
The Wrexham woodwork was rattled on three occasions, but Rush would surely have equalised
in the second-half had he the pace of a few years ago. Gibson came on late and worried the
Huddersfield left.
Post-match
verdict: OK, so we’re out of the Cup, but I’m happy to be purged of
Saturday’s nightmare (sorry I keep referring to it, but it went deep). It was a good
all-round performance, but to compete successfully at this level we have to turn
possession into meaningful chances. Then our forward line must take greater responsibility
to convert them. Can we now respond where it matters most – collecting league points.
Man of the match: Tough choice
this, but to play that well, in this environment – and after the abuse he received on
Saturday takes strength of charcater – so Cartwright
Moist
Game 44 – Macclesfield (2-0) by Nick Griffiths
Pre-match
background: This match was a must win situation for Wrexham, with the current
positions of both teams.
Conditions:
Appalling. Game maybe should never have been played, pitch was covered with water in a lot
of areas.
Selection:
Macclesfield Town: Williams, Hitchen, Ingram, Tinson, McDonald (Wood 77),
Sodje, Askey, Sorvel, Matias, Bailey (Payne 83), Whittaker (Tomlinson 71). Wrexham
AFC: Cartwright, McGregor, Hardy, Brammer, Spink, Carey, Chalk, Russell, Connolly
(Edwards 77), Griffiths, Whitley (Gibson 83). Unused: Ridler. Ref: P Danson
(Leicester).
Tactics:
Hit the ball up field, hope one of our player get it and score. No other option
really due to conditions. Passing was awfully difficult to do.
Ebb and flow:
Considering the awful rain, sleet and what ever else that came down, both teams did there
best to try to entertain, Wrexham though, producing the better chances.
Atmospherics:
Home fans must have had no voice. Away fans were lively though
Goals:
The first goal which was scored just as I was just walking towards the turnstile, was
apparently from the first real attacking move by Wrexham, where Carl Griffiths turned and
passed to Connolly, who tapped the ball home from 3 yards out. A super start. After
missing that goal, we waited another 80 odd minutes to see the next, when after good work
by Gibson and Edwards, Griffiths tapped the ball home.
Incident:
Griffiths had a glorious chance earlier in the game and really should have scored, and a
Dean Spink header from a corner just went narrowly wide. Kevin Russell tried an amazing
lob from the half way line, which looked as it was going in, but was narrowly wide.
Macclesfield did try hard, and in the second half created the odd chance, but they did
look a team destined for Division 3 football, just hope, with a few more results like
this, that we wont be joining them. Not really many incidents, with the conditions as they
were, the ref made allowances for bad tackles etc.
Post-match
verdict: The right result - and desperately needed. Griffiths worked hard,
and the situation with him should be sign him for £100,000 or spend next season in
Division 3 Mr Flynn.
Man of the Match: Kevin Russell
Solid
Game 45 – Luton (2-1) by Peter
Williams
Pre-match
background: Wins in our last two away matches: could we make it three in a row? A
pleasing start to the day with a few pre-match pints in the Bricklayers’ Arms. Try it
next time we play at Kenilworth Road: it’s got it’s very own resident Eric
Morecambe look-alike (complete with NHS glasses and orange 1980s Luton shirt) and
advertises a “forthcoming ale” called Ward’s Waggle Dance!
Conditions:
Sunny, cold.
Selection:
Connolly given leave of absence with his wife in labour so Jake Edwards gets his first
start. On-loaners Griffiths and Whitley keep their places in an otherwise unchanged
line-up.
Atmospherics:
Choirmaster Jacko was in fine form all afternoon and got good mileage out of
England’s midweek defeat by France, including a particularly rousing
“Marseillaise”. “Jake the Peg” also featured prominently.
Tactics:
Traditional 4-4-2 arrangement. Er, that’s it really...
Ebb and flow:
Luton had most of the play in the first half and might have taken the lead but for a
couple of excellent saves from Cartwright. Wrexham fought back well though and once we
went 2-1 up the points looked reasonably safe.
Goals:
47 minutes: Doherty evades a Spink challenged to score from a narrow angle. 57 minutes:
Edwards breaks through on the right, defender misses his challenge and Jake slides home
with his left “peg”.
Incident:
With the score at 1-0, Gray had a shot which hit the Wrexham bar, bounced down on the line
and was hacked clear by Phil Hardy. If this had gone in to put the home side 2-0 up, it
might have been a different story.
Post match
verdict: A good all-round performance. There’s no doubt the two loan players
have made a big difference and, with a couple of good results under our belts, we look a
different team from the one at Reading and even Colchester.
Man of the match: I thought Chalk
was our best player (there’s a first time for everything.)
Players:
Cartwright (confident!), McGregor: (classy), Hardy: (consistent), Spink:
(he’s-a-defender-not-a-striker), Carey: (commanding), Chalk: (ran-his-socks-off),
Brammer: (lynchpin), Russell: (involved), Whitley: (bristling), Griffiths: (scored!) sub.
Roberts: (never-say-die), Edwards: (persistent).
Crucial
Game 46 –
Lincoln (2-1) by Robert Griffiths
Pre-match
background: Lincoln on a high after fighting their way out of the relegation
places with a 2-0 win at home to Millwall. Wrexham also on a winning streak following two
back to back wins at Macclesfield and Luton. Last encounter - Wrexham won at home 2-1,
with Lincoln's Lee Thorpe being sent off following a clash with Phil Hardy.
Conditions:
Cold with a harsh cross field wind. I never knew that Sincil Bank was so close to the
beach, the pitch had a light covering of sand which made passing harder than usual.
Tactics:
Usual 4-4-2, with Russell on the left and Connolly up front (a position I don't think he
relishes). With this being one step closer to Wembley, the usual passing game of Wrexham
didn't always work against a team who like to harry and force mistakes.
Ebb and flow:
The first half was all Wrexham, but the second was all Lincoln's with Wrexham not getting
any clear cut chances till late on in the match.
Incident: On 10 minutes, Cartwright sliced a bouncing back pass which luckily didn't fall straight to a Lincoln player as a goal would have been the certain result. 20 minutes, Wrexham have chance after chance to put the ball in, but through solid defending and nervous shooting all the momentum was lost and the ball is cleared. 75 minutes, Owen recieves a yellow card for a clumsy challenge on Gavin Gordon. 89 minutes, Free kick floated in to the box from Russell, which came through to an unmarked Spink. His shot was saved but Vaughan's parry fell directly in to the path of the suprised Chalk, who under pressure from the exellent Steve Holmes could only force the ball on to the post from two yards out.
Atmospherics:
A small Wrexham following were in good voice throught out the whole match, most of their
chants were aimed at the referee. Lincoln were duly subdued until they equalised late on.
Every corner or throw in for Lincoln around the Wrexham box was greeted by an air raid
siren, and the Lincoln supporters band.
Goals:
45 minutes, prolonged pressure from resulted in corner after corner, eventually the ball
was thrashed home by Dave Ridler, amidst a sea of bodies. 81 minutes, Steve Holmes blasts
home from 12 yards, following a dubious decision to give a penalty following a 'trip' on
Lee Philpott. 103 minutes, (Golden Goal) Connolly slides the ball through to substitute
Neil Roberts, his cross is half cleared, but sent back in from Connolly and Stuart Bimson
inadvertently knocks the ball in, to spark off relieved Wrexham celebrations.
Post-match
verdict: Wrexham should have sealed it in the first half with all the chances
they had, but they were lucky to hold on in the second and then keep the score down to
force extra time. On the whole Wrexham probably shaded the match but with no help from
referee Alan Butler. I personally thought that he was going to be one of Lincoln's penalty
takers if a shoot out should be required. Personal opinion - Wrexham need a player up
front who is willing to put himself around and is not shy in front of goal. Does that not
sound like the unaffordable Carl Griffiths.
Man of the match: Jake Edwards,
for his tireless running and excellent commitment.
Torpid
Game 47 - York (1-1) by Dean Domerecki
Pre-match
background: After the sound thrashing administered by Preston, resurgent
(well, ok, surgent) form had brought us a creditable F.A. Cup showing and three, yes
three, away wins in succession - so in theory, in good shape. York, however, were on the
drift after useful performances at the end of 1998, but not much since. Wrexham
favourites, then.
Conditions:
Dry, but with a strong, gusting cold wind.
Selection:
Ridler in for Spink in defence. In midfield, Russell alongside Brammer; outside
them, on the left Whitley and on the right, making his first starting appearance, Robin
Gibson. Up front were the pacy duo of Connolly and Edwards. The odds on a Wrexham victory
worsen slightly.
Tactics:
No sign of any, really. Midfield looked unbalanced, with, again, no left side to it
- our only naturally left-sided player, Gareth Owen, being on the bench. Everything else
fell away as a result of this.
Ebb
and Flow: Strangely subdued and passionless display by most of the Wrexham
side, playing as if badly hung over. However, despite this, they still managed to enjoy
the better chances in the first half whilst only scoring once, from an own goal (sounds
familiar). For us, Whitley had a fine run and shot narrowly wide, Russell volleyed over
the bar and, best of all, in first half injury time, an impressive passage of possession
play ended with Gibson crossing, only for Edwards to see his low shot saved by Mimms’
legs. York chances before half time were few (including a Mark Cartwright “bar of
soap” party piece) but they shared the honours with Wrexham in the second half, when
either side might have got the winner. Substitutions (Neil Roberts for Connolly and Spink
for Edwards) did liven things up, but by then we were past improvement. At times we looked
like a long-ball team playing off our forwards, and at other times just looked lost for
ideas.
Atmospherics:
Dismal and pathetic, the prize for the loudest shouting going to Mark Cartwright,
audible at all times above the crowd “noise”. With a team pulling away from
relegation, showing well in the F.A Cup, and one step away from Wembley in the AWS,
you’d think we could break the 3,000 attendance figure - but no. Can someone please
tell me what the other unmissable attractions of Wrexham are? It’s no consolation,
but by the look of the Marston’s stand the good people of York and its environs care
for their team about as much as those of Wrexham do for theirs.
Goals:
Ours: ball played up to Edwards on the edge of the area; he attempts to turn and
shoot, but kindly Thompson in the green shirt saves time by lobbing Mimms into the far
corner of the net. Theirs: neat one-two between Pouton and Creswell on the left touchline,
cutting out Macca and Ridler, who trail Pouton for about two miles before he finds the
tiny gap at the near post with a crisp shot.
Incident:
Rockin’ Robin patrolling the edge of the pitch on a bike. With the F.A. in
their current mood, it’s got to be a custodial sentence. Gibson (and Carey, perhaps)
tempting the referee to show the red card, which luckily he didn’t, although many
would have done.
Post-match
verdict: A game memorable only for the half-heartedness of the majority of
the team. Wrexham could and should have won the game before half-time - and the extra two
points would have lifted us in the table by three places, to 14th. This surely can’t
be the result of tiredness after midweek games; if it is, it’s about to get worse as
AWS and WPC matches clog up the fixture list. If it’s not fatigue, then what is it?
Players:
Cartwright - still improving in the face of his critics (which did include me previously)
despite the odd gaffe; McGregor - unusually subdued; Hardy - ditto; Brammer - did
put some effort in, but lacked any real support ; Ridler - with Carey, contained Cresswell
all match; Carey - as usual, excellent stopper but poor distribution; Gibson - despite
promise, failed to take on opponents and drive home attacks - nerves, perhaps; Russell -
more creative than usual, especially in the first half; Connolly - wasn’t in the game
at all; Edwards - might try running for the ball or challenging an opponent next time, if
there is one; Whitley - stood out by virtue of his commitment, hard tackling and running;
Referee (Gurnam Singh) (6/10) - too lenient on foul play (to our benefit)
which allowed niggly “handbag” incidents to develop.
Man of the
Match: Jeff Whitley for his all-round superior effort and endurance - and
this from the only player not on Wrexham’s books. Discuss.
Uninspiring
Game 48 –
Newtown (1-0) by Matthew Edwards
Pre-match
background: A below par performance against the Minstermen did not bode well for
this relatively short trip to the mid-Wales Robins.
Conditions:
Cold, Wet, Wet , Wet!!
Selection:
Gareth Owen and David Ridler replacing Kevin Russell and Phil Hardy respectively
Tactics:
Usual neat football on a difficult surface (as Dave Brammer will testify)
Ebb & flow:
Early domination paid off with a well worked goal. Newtown came into the game more and
more but could not find the crucial breakthrough. The missed penalty summed up their night
Atmospherics:
Non-existent. Biggest cheer: the ref's final whistle!
Goals:
Connolly
Incident:
Seeing Powys blue watch being scrambled due to fire on BBC Wales van!
Post-match
verdict: The £20000 cash bonus will do very nicely thank you. The least said
about on the field matters the better!
Man of the
Match: David Brammer
Lovely
Game 49 –
Stoke (3-1) by Peter Davies
Pre-match
background: Tommy Wright signs up and Carl Griffiths doesn’t; also two
indifferent recent performances against crack sides York City and Newtown. Not
particularly promising...
Conditions:
Fine, sunny, mild – but it got bloody cold.
Selection:
Russell and Connolly upfront and, with Ward still out, a Brammer-Owen-Whitley-Chalk
midfield quartet.
Tactics:
Pass, move and hope to get some change out of a Stoke side seriously on the slide.
Ebb and flow:
Wrexham gave as good as they get; Stoke flattered to deceive and their non-potency in the
final third is a neat explanation for their recent demise.
Atmospherics:
Nice stadium, but really only half full; the Wrexham end was in particularly vigorous form
in a kind of anti-Gavin Ward kind of way; lots of singing, lots of Wembley chants and
even…a touch of ‘It’s just like watching Brazil/Grange Hill’ (delete
as appropriate).
Goals:
The three goals were BRILLIANT: a neat and perfectly-time Connolly lob; a TOTALLY and
UTTERLY fantastic cross-field move (involving Connolly and Russell) that ended with Owen
rifling home; and a MAGNIFICENTLY SUPERB Connolly solo effort that was just so good I
can’t begin to describe it in normal, orthodox language.
Incident:
Whitley should have made it four but fluffed a one-on-one; Stoke took a corner-kick that
travelled at least four yrads (maximum); the pom-pom girls, cheerleaders and Village
People-like band were on good YMCA-ish form before the game and at half-time; most Stoke
fans went home early…
Post-match
verdict: QUITE SENSATIONAL
Man of the match: Wright, McGregor, Hardy, Carey, Ridler, Brammer, Whitley, Chalk, Owen, Russell, Connolly (pick any or all)
