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Match Report |
Reds fail to draw Bees' sting
By: Alun Thomas
PRE-MATCH THOUGHTS:
Despite the indifferent form of the division’s top sides, four have to
go up at the season’s end and if we are to be one of them then we need
to start winning games like this, against a Barnet side struggling to
re-adapt to life as a League club.
CONDITIONS:
A swirling wind and a rutted pitch contributed to an error-strewn yet
exciting contest.
SUM UP OUR PERFORMANCE IN ONE SENTENCE:
Our failure to take advantage of the slope and wind after half time was
a serious worry.
TURNING POINT:
Mark Jones’s goal, a minute from the break. Had we gone in two goals
down then we may well have achieved “nul points”.
MAIN INCIDENTS AND GOALS:
The conditions ensured that there was no shortage of incident, and with
both sides looking very committed there were more than the usual number
of miskicks and sliced clearances. The Bees, kicking down the hill with
the wind behind them, were in Wrexham faces from the word go and really
should have been at least two up before they actually scored.
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Ccredit to the players for coming
back from 2 down
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From Ben
Have your say |
Ingham, whose kicking against the wind was perversely better than usual,
spilled a routine cross and in the ensuing melee a shot crashed against
our bar. Minutes later the home side’s Kandol headed over when it seemed
easier to notch. A home goal looked increasingly likely and it duly
arrived on the half hour, the pacy striker Norville bursting into our
area to absolutely spank his shot past Ingham at the near post. Our
keeper then saved smartly from Kandol but the big, peroxided striker was
not to be denied. When Ingham was hesitant leaving his line, Kandol’s
shot hit him and looped just under the bar.
Things were looking grim but we were thrown a lifeline a minute before
half time when the ball broke to Jonah, twenty yards out, and his
superbly struck drive gave home goalie Reed no chance.
 The second half saw the ineffective Spender and Whitley replaced by
Bennett and Ferguson, and the latter’s contribution was immediate, his
through ball giving Sam Williams a great chance to open his Wrexham
account. Sadly this proved beyond the young striker, but a minute or two
later Ferguson played in Derbyshire who expertly drew the keeper to
shoot just inside the post.
And that, you felt, was that. Surely now we’d push on to win
comfortably….but Ferguson faded as suddenly as he’d bloomed and we found
ourselves pinned in our own half as Barnet stormed onto the offensive,
forcing a worrying number of free-kicks and corners as well as having a
goal disallowed. A trip by Jonah saw the ref flourish a yellow card.
When Wrexham pressed it was only sporadically. Young Reed fumbled an
innocuous cross just past the post and Jonah headed over from six yards
as Holty’s long throws caused occasional havoc, while Ferguson,
forgivably, and Derbyshire, less so, saw lobs beat Reed but sail over
the bar. A winner for either side, though, would have been an injustice.
OPPOSITION AND FANS:
Even without three or four regulars, Barnet looked a lot better than
their League position would suggest. Their support was noisier than
expected, whilst stewards and staff were friendly and helpful. Toilets
and refreshment facilities, however, remain firmly rooted in the
Conference……..
OFFICIALS:
Bearing in mind the conditions all three had sound games.
MAN OF THE MATCH:
Probably Jonah. Scored a vital goal at a crucial time, was combative
throughout and got through considerable mileage. Highly commended –
Pejic, whose show was calm yet committed.
IF YOU WERE DS:
I’d probably have said “See you next season” to Barnet’s management
team.
POST-MATCH THOUGHTS:
Of course a point away from home after being two down can’t be all bad –
but draws are no good to us now. |
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Match Reaction |
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Listen to Denis Smith speaking to
BBC Radio Wales
Listen to Darren Ferguson speaking
to BBC Radio Wales
Denis Smith: "I think we threw the points away in the
first half. The first half performance was shocking really. Some of the
performances were way below what I expect. If we play the way we played in
the first half we won't get promoted, we'd possibly get relegated! We
improved a bit in the second half: we battled better, and perhaps we passed
it better, but some of the unforced errors we made in the first half were
very very disappointing. The goals came from them: we had the ball on both
occasions and gave it away. We continued to do that throughout the first
half. I don't know if it's the lads who've been away on international duty
and what they've been doing or the fact that we haven't been able to train
all week because of the snow but people didn't look comfortable on the ball
at all, perhaps it was the shock of seeing green, I don't know! It was very
disappointing." [Source:
Wrexham AFC - Click here for more]
Andy Holt: "I'm disappointed we didn't win, but
clearly we could easily have lost having gone 2-0 down. I think it was just
one of those games. They obviously know how to play this pitch with this big
slope, and in the first half they were just turning us as often as possible
and a couple of mistakes cost us. But we scored our first goal at the right
time, and in fact we did have a few chances in the first half; Matt got in a
couple of times and we could have gone 1-1 or possibly even 1-0 up but at
2-0 down you need to get a goal back and Jonah got it at exactly the right
time." [Source:
Wrexham AFC - Click here for more] |
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Match Notes |
| Venue |
Underhill |
| Attendance |
2,127 |
| Half Time |
Barnet 2 Wrexham 1 |
| Referee |
Brian Curson (Leicestershire) |
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Other Match Reports |
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BBC Radio
Wales Audio Report
Barnet FC: Barnet 2 Wrexham 2
BBC: Barnet 2-2 Wrexham
BeesBeesBees.com: Barnet 2-2 Wrexham
TEAMtalk: Dragons draw as bees burn out
Wales
on Sunday: Smith is so angry
Wrexham AFC: Barnet 2 Wrexham 2
Wrexham MAD: Barnet 2 Wrexham 2 |
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League 2 Results |
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Barnet 2
Wrexham 2
Boston United v Northampton - Postponed
Bury v Macclesfield - Postponed
Carlisle v Lincoln City - Postponed
Cheltenham 2 Wycombe 1
Chester v Torquay - Postponed
Notts County 2 Mansfield 2
Oxford United v Bristol Rovers - Postponed
Peterborough 2 Stockport 0
Rochdale v Darlington - Postponed
Rushden & Diamonds 1 Grimsby 1
Shrewsbury 3 Leyton Orient 3 |
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League 2 Table |
| Pos |
Team |
Pld |
GD
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PTS
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| 1 |
Carlisle |
35 |
28 |
62 |
| 2 |
Wycombe |
36 |
20 |
62 |
| 3 |
Grimsby |
35 |
19 |
61 |
| 4 |
Northampton |
35 |
20 |
60 |
| 5 |
Leyton Orient |
36 |
10 |
60 |
| 6 |
Peterborough |
36 |
13 |
55 |
| 7 |
Cheltenham |
35 |
5 |
54 |
| 8 |
Lincoln City |
35 |
7 |
52 |
| 9 |
Bristol Rovers |
35 |
-6 |
50 |
| 10 |
Wrexham |
33 |
11 |
46 |
| 11 |
Darlington |
35 |
7 |
46 |
| 12 |
Shrewsbury |
36 |
-1 |
45 |
| 13 |
Boston United |
34 |
-2 |
45 |
| 14 |
Notts County |
36 |
-10 |
44 |
| 15 |
Mansfield |
36 |
-5 |
42 |
| 16 |
Rochdale |
33 |
-2 |
41 |
| 17 |
Macclesfield |
34 |
-8 |
39 |
| 18 |
Barnet |
35 |
-11 |
38 |
| 19 |
Bury |
33 |
-11 |
37 |
| 20 |
Oxford United |
34 |
-11 |
37 |
| 21 |
Chester |
33 |
-7 |
36 |
| 22 |
Stockport |
35 |
-21 |
34 |
| 23 |
Rushden & Diamonds |
36 |
-25 |
34 |
| 24 |
Torquay |
35 |
-20 |
32 |
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Next Game |
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Bury (h),
Coca Cola League 2
Saturday 11
March 2006, Kick Off @ 15:00 |
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73'
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73'
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