|
Match Report |
Wrexham too good for ten man County
By: Mark Williams
PRE-MATCH THOUGHTS: Despite the injury problems we must be
looking for a win especially as we are not playing next week. Stockport
had only won once this season and are a team we should be looking to
defeat at home if we will have any chances this season.
CONDITIONS: Started off sunny but the wind blew in heavy rain
towards the end of the game.
SUM UP OUR PERFORMANCE IN ONE SENTENCE: All round good
performance with the goals coming at crucial times.
TURNING POINT: Red card – Stockport were forced to put men behind
the ball after seven minutes and the game was over as soon as Wrexham
scored.
MAIN INCIDENTS AND GOALS:
With Wrexham replacing Robbie Foy up front with wing back Dean Bennett,
Simon Spender made his first start or the season on the right. The
moved initially paid off with the hard running from Bennett and Walters
up front combining well and Wrexham forced two early chances without
ever threatening the Stockport goal.
 The
game turned as early as the seventh minute when Stockport were reduced
for ten men when striker Ludovic Dje was shown a red card for violent
conduct after he appeared to elbow Paul Linwood. referee Nigel Miller had not
seen the incident but after discussing it with his assistant he was left
with no alternative to dismiss the Stockport striker.
Wrexham immediately took the game to Stockport and good inter play
between Mark Jones and Alex Smith resulted in Jones curling a short
narrowly wide form the edge of the area.
Before the crowd had the opportunity to get anxious Wrexham broke the
deadlock following a fine effort from Jon Walters midway through the
first half. The striker received the ball with his back to goal from the
lively Mark Jones and after turning his marker he struck an unstoppable
left footed shot from twenty yards that went into the stanchion of the
far post.
Stockport did have an opportunity to get a quick equaliser following a
foul by Dennis Lawrence but defender Michael Raynes was unable to
convert the deep cross, directing his header at the back post wide form
only six yards out.
Walters had a couple of opportunities to extend Wrexham's lead an possibly
score a hat trick but the first from Smith’s left wing cross was
smothered by the County keeper. The second chance followed good workl
from Dennis Lawrence who showed great skill with a neat drag back on the
left touch line before finding Alex Smith with an infield pass. Smith
picked out Walters but he rushed the shot and fired rashly over the bar.
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The County keeper then collected the ball just outside of the area but after
no yellow card was shown Darren Ferguson curled the resulting free kick
over the bar.
Wrexham were grateful to the positioning of Danny Williams as he cleared
a certain equaliser off the line in first half injury time. It all
stemmed from a poor back pass from Linwood that went out for a corner.
Michael Jones came for the set piece but failed to collect it and the
rebound fell kindly to Ashley Williams but his shot was cleared off the
line by
Williams and Wrexham eventually cleared the resulting corner.
 Wrexham
started the second half in control and a brace from Mark Jones within
six minutes ended the game as a contest. Six minuets after the
restart a simple ball into the box was not cleared and instead the
defensive header found Mark Jones unmarked on the edge of the area. His
first touch got the ball under control before he picked out the corner
to the keeper’s right with a low shot.
Jones’ second goal was almost identical to his first when another shot
from the edge of the area was driven through the County players and this
unsighted the keeper who was wrong footed and could not adjust in time as
the ball found the same corner of the net.
County made a triple substitution to liven their game up but it was Mark
Jones who had the next opportunity as he went in search for his hat
trick but his effort curled wide of the post.
As the game entered the last fifteen minutes a down poor made conditions
tricky but County were unable to take advantage of chances presented to
them towards the end of the game. Their best chance came from a free
kick that broke kindly to Bramble but despite being only six yards out
his shot struck the far post and rebounded across the face of goal after
deflecting off a Wrexham defender lying on the ground. The danger was
still not cleared but Raynes could only play the ball back into the
hands of a grateful Michael Jones.
Wrexham made substitutions but the game fizzled out although sub Mackin
could not get the ball from underneath his feet as the last opportunity
of the game was cleared away by the County defence.
OPPOSITION AND FANS: Stockport looked a poor side prior to the
sending off and despite this their only shot on target was from the
incident when Danny Williams cleared off the line in first half injury
time. The fans kept on singing and made some good noise with over 600
making the short trip.
OFFICIALS: Got the only real controversial decision he had to make correct
after consulting with his assistant. An elbow is a red card if it happens
in the first or last ten minutes of a game and there were no complaints
MAN OF THE MATCH: Mark Jones – the obvious choice with two well
taken goals but his general attacking play was good and made full use of
the space afforded to him by Stockport.
IF YOU WERE DENIS SMITH: I would be happy with another
comprehensive win at home and another clean sheet. Aim now would be to
get more players fit with the two week break for internationals. |
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Match Reaction |
|
Listen to Darren Ferguson
speaking to BBC Radio Wales
Listen to Mark Jones speaking
to BBC Radio Wales
Denis Smith: "The sending off obviously helped us
coming as early as it did in the match but I felt that we had already
started with a very positive attitude. We had to be patient and eventually
the goals came. If you had said beforehand that we would win 3-0 then I
would have been very happy. But after the week that we have endured, I'm
delighted. We needed to win today and we did just that. I told the players
not to get sloppy but some of our passing in the first half was just that.
Things did improve after the break. I was also very pleased with the clean
sheet, although Michael made a few mistakes he got away with them. It makes
a pleasant change to score three great goals but I would also like a couple
of taps in along the line. The idea of bringing Dean Bennett into the front
line was to stretch their defence which he did well and it worked. Robbie
[Foy] tends to come deeper for the shorter passes whereas Deano makes those
runs. Jon Walters always works hard and we have seen Dean do something
similar up front during pre-season. It takes time to find the right balance
but it certainly worked today. As for the sending-off, I don't think that
anybody can have any qualms about it. It happened right in front of us and
while Chris Turner might have viewed it differently, I don't think many
people would argue with the decision." [Source:
Denis Smith] |
|
League 2 Table |
|
Pos |
Team |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
Pts |
|
1 |
Grimsby Town |
12 |
7 |
3 |
2 |
18 |
8 |
10 |
24 |
|
2 |
Leyton Orient |
12 |
7 |
2 |
3 |
21 |
18 |
3 |
23 |
|
3 |
Wycombe Wanderers |
12 |
5 |
7 |
0 |
25 |
15 |
10 |
22 |
|
4 |
Chester City |
12 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
23 |
14 |
9 |
21 |
|
5 |
Rochdale |
12 |
6 |
2 |
4 |
22 |
14 |
8 |
20 |
|
6 |
Northampton Town |
12 |
4 |
6 |
2 |
17 |
12 |
5 |
18 |
|
7 |
Oxford United |
12 |
4 |
6 |
2 |
14 |
13 |
1 |
18 |
| 8 |
Notts County |
12 |
4 |
6 |
2 |
11 |
12 |
-1 |
18 |
| 9 |
Shrewsbury Town |
12 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
13 |
10 |
3 |
17 |
| 10 |
Cheltenham Town |
12 |
4 |
5 |
3 |
16 |
14 |
2 |
17 |
| 11 |
Carlisle United |
12 |
5 |
2 |
5 |
13 |
15 |
-2 |
17 |
|
12 |
Wrexham |
12 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
15 |
13 |
2 |
16 |
| 13 |
Lincoln City |
12 |
3 |
6 |
3 |
14 |
12 |
2 |
15 |
| 14 |
Darlington |
12 |
3 |
6 |
3 |
14 |
13 |
1 |
15 |
| 15 |
Bristol Rovers |
12 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
15 |
19 |
-4 |
15 |
| 16 |
Barnet |
12 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
14 |
15 |
-1 |
14 |
| 17 |
Peterborough United |
12 |
4 |
2 |
6 |
11 |
12 |
-1 |
14 |
| 18 |
Boston United |
12 |
2 |
7 |
3 |
15 |
19 |
-4 |
13 |
| 19 |
Macclesfield Town |
12 |
2 |
5 |
5 |
13 |
19 |
-6 |
11 |
| 20 |
Rushden and Diamonds |
12 |
2 |
5 |
5 |
12 |
19 |
-7 |
11 |
| 21 |
Torquay United |
12 |
3 |
2 |
7 |
9 |
19 |
-10 |
11 |
| 22 |
Stockport County |
12 |
1 |
7 |
4 |
15 |
21 |
-6 |
10 |
|
23 |
Bury |
12 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
11 |
17 |
-6 |
10 |
|
24 |
Mansfield Town |
12 |
1 |
4 |
7 |
16 |
24 |
-8 |
7 |
 |
|
|
Match Notes |
| Venue |
Racecourse Ground |
| Attendance |
4,153 |
| Half Time |
Wrexham 1 Stockport 0 |
| Referee |
Nigel Miller (County Durham) |
|
|
Match Incidents |
| 07' |
Stockport's Ludovic Foy
is shown red for an elbow on Paul Linwood |
| 21' |
Jon Walters fires an
unstoppable shot to break the deadlock. |
| 45' |
Danny Williams clears
the ball off the line to keep Wrexham ahead at half time |
| 51' |
Mark Jones punishes a
poor defensive header with a shot from the edge of the area |
| 57' |
Mark Jones seals the win
with another strike from the edge of the area |
|
|
84'
86'
75'
86'
75'
84'
