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Match Notes

WREXHAM’S SPIRIT ALL IN VEIN

By Mark Williams

Pre-match thoughts: Deflated after the defeat at Port Vale and with the injury problems deepening this only deflated the spirits further.

Conditions: Dry and warm with sun breaking through at the end.

Tactics: Only change from the weekend was Morgan returning for Roberts in the usual 3-5-2.

Sum up the performance in one sentence: Spirited but not clinical.

Turning point: Losing Carlos Edwards and Jim Whitley in the space of two minutes as both were influential in the game when they went off.

Main incidents and goals:

0-15 minutes: Bright start for Wrexham with Carlos Edwards the main threat down the right. From one of his centres Armstrong got ahead of the defender but was unlucky as his header came back off the near post. On the other side of the pitch good link up play between Barrett and Thomas created space for Crowell to shoot from twenty yards but his effort arrowed over. Hartlepool did not offer much in attack as Wrexham continued to press and Armstrong got to the touch line before delivering a decent cross that just evaded Chris Llewellyn at the far post. Score 0-0.

15-30 minutes: It was still all Wrexham with Hartlepool only threatening from set pieces. Armstrong had a header from the edge of the area well saved by Jim Provett as Wrexham really only created half chances. Carlos Edwards was the main attacking outlet turning his full back inside out on numerous occasions. The final ball in the box was also good but Armstrong or Llewellyn could not get on the end of them. Score 0-0.

30-45 minutes: Hartlepool’s best chance came from a corner when the ball dropped to Eifion Williams but he took too long on the ball and this allowed Wrexham to scramble it away. When the ball was returned in from the left Boyd connected with a good header on the edge of the area but a flying save by Ingham tipped the ball away for a corner when it was destined for the top corner. Wrexham cleared the subsequent set play but when the ball was in the air midway in the half Carlos Edwards jumped up for it with his hand but when he landed started limping. You could clearly see he had aggravated his knee injury after limping for a while he was replaced by Simon Spender. This moved Jim Whitley into midfield and Steve Thomas out wide but Wrexham had to reorganise again two minutes later when Jim Whitley also limped off to be replaced by Lee Jones with Chris Llewellyn dropping back into midfield. Hartlepool began to look dangerous albeit from set pieces. Robinson tried an audacious free kick from thirty-five yards and with no wall Ingham had to make sure he gathered at the first attempt with three Hartlepool players in close proximity. Another free kick, this time from the edge of the area, was swung in to the near post by Robertson that Ingham did well to tip away for a corner. With four minutes of the half remaining this was curled in by the left foot of Robertson to the far post where Morgan challenged for the ball with Williams. Morgan got his head to the ball but could only loop it up into the air. The ball landed perfectly for Darrell Clarke to strike first time and from six yards out his low volley took a deflection off Morgan into the roof of the net past Ingham. Half Time 1-0 Hartlepool.
 

it was obvious which team was going for the play offs and which side have give up on their season.

wrecsam am byth 88 on the RP Messageboard

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45-60 minutes: Wrexham started the second half in search of the equaliser but without any quality balls into the box the chances were half at best. The best opportunities to get the ball into the box were wasted by Steve Thomas and it came as no surprise that Matt Crowell replaced him on set plays. From one on these Dennis Lawrence caused havoc in the penalty area with a flick on that Provett did well to turn away and the keeper was in the right place to collect a goal-bound Armstrong header from Crowell’s free kick. Score 1-0 Hartlepool.

60-75 minutes: With Wrexham pushing for the equaliser Hartlepool extended their lead with a rare attack into the Wrexham half and it again came when Wrexham failed to clear a set play from Robertson. He swung the ball in from the right touch line and Wrexham could only clear the ball to the edge of the area. The ball again dropped kindly for Hartlepool and after Neil Danns switched the ball onto his left foot he drilled a shot low through a crowd of players and with Ingham unsighted he could not react in time before the ball nestled in the bottom corner. Matt Crowell burst into the the box but his shot on his weaker left foot went wide whilst he was off balance. Wrexham did strike back ten minutes later back with the best move of the game. Thomas played in Llewellyn down the right side of the area. The attacker looked up and with an inch perfect ball he found Paul Barrett at the far post and he side footed first time past Provett who had to chance in the Hartlepool goal. Score 2-1 Hartlepool.

75-90 minutes: Hartlepool could have put the game beyond Wrexham after complete stupidity from Lee Jones. Hartlepool were awarded a free kick thirty yards from goal but after Jones decided to argue with the decision he ended up in the book for dissent and the ball was advanced to the edge of the area. The ball was laid back for Hugh Robertson to strike left footed and Ingham was on top form to turn the ball superbly over for a corner with a flying save. Wrexham went for the equaliser in the last ten minutes when Hector Sam replaced Matt Crowell and Dennis Lawrence was pushed upfront as the fourth striker. Lawrence did well up front winning countless headers but it was again disappointing that the strikers did not anticipate this (despite him being 6ft 7!). Lee Jones had a couple of opportunities but screwed his shots wide. One was when he played in by a overhead kick from Lawrence but Jones decided to take on the shot when a ball back across to Lawrence for an open goal would have been the better option. Wrexham won some corners in injury time but Provett held onto the ball like he did all afternoon and Hartlepool held onto the three points. Final Score 2-1 Hartlepool.

Opposition and fans: After watching Port Vale and now Hartlepool it is had to comprehend why these two clubs are still in play off contention as there was not much between us in terms of quality. Hartlepool did not offer much in attack but kept their shape well throughout the game. Decent number of fans made the trip from the North East but only came into life when they scored.

Officials: Denis Smith was not too happy with Colin Webster but there was nothing much wrong with his decisions and was helped with no controversial incidents during the game.

Man of the match: Dennis Lawrence – was an inspiration throughout especially when he went up front in the last ten minutes.

If you were Denis Smith: Search for a new striker that has a presence up front.

Post match thoughts: The last two matches have highlighted our problem and we should be looking to replace the strikers in the summer as they do not look up to it. Morrell was not a tall player but he though hard for every ball in the air and is something that we are missing. It is remarkable that we have got away with such a small squad for so long and we may not been in this division if we had the same injury problems at the same stage of last season. Expect quotes on the lines of ‘Next season starts now’ this week and ‘players are playing for their new contracts’ etc etc.

Jump To: Match Stats, Match Report, Detailed Match Reports, Other Match Reports, Audio Reports and Quotes, Press Conference Quotes, Division 2 Results, League Table.

BBCi: Wrexham 1 Hartlepool United 2 - Minute-by-minute

Red Passion Soccer Saturday Audio Report with Mark Williams

Denis Smith: "The best team lost. The defeat was helped along by the official, who when I saw him before the game I knew that we had problems. He has cost us one game already this season so he has cost us two now. Under the circumstances, that’s frustrating. I thought that we were by far the better team so to lose to two set-plays is what happens when you have not got time to work on it. We finished with two 18-year olds but we were still the better team by a long way. People will look at the result and not the performance, and I’m not happy, as we should have at least got a draw. When you are so much in control as we were, and then to lose Carlos and Jim in such a short space of time, I think someone up there doesn’t like us! We still kept going but it is frustrating to lose because I believe we didn’t deserve it.." [Source: Wrexham AFC]

Results

Barnsley

Ireland 22'

Nardiello 85'

Murphy 89'

3-3

Queens Park Rangers

Kay 32' (og)

Furlong 70' 90'

10,402

Bournemouth

Hayter 77'

Holmes 80'

2-2

Chesterfield

Allott 21'

De Bolla 27'

7,081

Brentford

Tabb 45'

Sonko 58'

Harrold 78'

3-2

Colchester United

White 53'

Fagan 80'

5,017

Brighton & Hove Albion

0-0

Rushden & Diamonds

6,320

Bristol City

v

Plymouth Argyle

19:45

TUE

Grimsby Town

0-2

Blackpool

Murphy 23'

Coid 53'

4,775

Luton Town

0-3

Swindon Town

Fallon 3' 21'

Hewlett 44'

7,008

Notts County

0-0

Sheffield Wednesday

9,601

Peterborough United

Logan 45'

Williams 55'

Clarke 67'

3-1

Port Vale

Bridge-Wilkinson 90'

4,988

Stockport County

Clare 33

1-1

Oldham Athletic

Haining 1'

8,617

Wrexham

Barrett 71'

1-2

Hartlepool United

Clarke 41'

Dann 63'

3,786

Wycombe Wanderers

Johnson 88'

1-2

Tranmere Rovers

Dadi 11' 45'

5,256

League Table