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Match Report |
Defensive errors prove costly
By: Mark Williams
PRE-MATCH THOUGHTS: Despite the make shift team at the back Port
Vale also have their problems and a draw tonight would at least let us
have another bite of the cherry in a replay.
CONDITIONS: Dry but cold
SUM UP OUR PERFORMANCE IN ONE SENTENCE: A good second half
performance was undone by two defensive errors.
TURNING POINT: Conceding a goal within two minutes of equalising
was criminal.
MAIN INCIDENTS AND GOALS:
With both teams fielding make shift back lines it was no surprise that
there were chances early on. Dave Bayliss was penalised for a foul on
debutant Leon Constatine, who had only signed just before the deadline
from Torquay, but from the resulting free kick Mark Birchall fired into
the 1,000+ Wrexham fans behind Mike Ingham’s goal. At the other end of
the pitch Ferguson picked out Jon Walters with a cross but his header
was blocked by Tony Dinning.
Wrexham forced two successive corners when Mark Jones fed in Walters
down the right channel and after the first effort was headed over his
own bar by Husbands the second corner was just too high for 6ft 7 Dennis
Lawrence and Vale eventually scrambled the ball clear.
Port Vale almost took the lead when the Wrexham defence stood off
Birchall and his shot from outside of the area was parried by Ingham.
None of the Wrexham defenders reacted to the loose ball and Ingham did
well again to block the rebound shot from Nathan Lowndes.
 Back
at the other end of the pitch and Wrexham almost opened the scoring when
Ferguson delivered a cross from the right side of the area that McEvilly
connected with an overhead kick that rebounded behind for a goal kick
off the outside of the post.
This should have been the moment for Wrexham to take the game to Vale
but for the next ten minutes they were always on the back foot and
conceded the opening goal as a result. At times Simon Spender forgot he
was playing in defence and went out to the right wing to meet Craig
James despite Lee Roche already being there! James noticed this and
played the ball into the space for Mickey Bell to run into and although
he picked out Husbands in the box Ingham did well turning his header
over the bar.
Wrexham were slow to react for the resulting corner only sending Spender
out for the short corner but he was out numbered. This allowed Birchall
to get a better angle to cross in from Wrexham’s right and although the
ball lacked any quality it somehow got to the near post where Ingham did
well to parry the initial shot from Husbands but the ball rebounded back
to Husbands who this time made no mistake from close range.
Wrexham again failed to close down a Port Vale player on the edge of the
area and almost paid the price as Ingham had to dive low to his right to
turn Mark Innes’ shot around the post. From the resulting corner Ingham
misjudged the flight of the inswinging cross and although Constatine
redirected the ball back across goal Wrexham somehow managed to scramble
the ball clear.
Wrexham then had a decent penalty shout turned down when Walters went
down under a heavy challenge by Dinning but the referee waived play on
and Walters eventually required treatment off the pitch. Despite being
down to ten men Wrexham had the next chance when Mark Jones was played
in down the right but his shot across the face of goal was well saved by
Goodlad.
Port Vale had the last chance of the half when Constatine was played in
down the middle and after he shrugged off the challenge from Spender his
floated shot dipped just in time and into the hands of a grateful
Ingham, as the ball initially looked as if it would float over Ingham
and into the net.
Wrexham started a lot brighter in the second half with McEvilly having a
chance from a Ferguson free kick but despite the promising start a slip
from Alex Smith almost gifted his former club a second goal of the
night. This let in Constatine but from a tight angle he drove the ball
across the face of goal for a goal kick.
At the other end of the pitch Smith played a good 1-2 with Ferguson and
he struck the lay off from the Wrexham skipper first time and Goodland
made a smart save diving to his left but within fives minuets Wrexham
were back on level terms.
Bayliss had the ball in his own half and he delivered it forward for
Walters to flick on. The Port Vale defenders just stood there appealing
for offside as McEvilly made his way into the box before tucking the
ball past Goodlad for a well taken equaliser.
With Wrexham’s fans still celebrating their joy was only short lived as
Port Vale forced a corner within a minute of the restart. Wrexham had
sufficient opportunities to clear the ball as it rebounded around the
back post before it broke to Constatine who made no mistake burying the
ball under Ingham for a goal on his debut from only six yards.
 McEvilly
almost equalised for Wrexham after his strike partner Walters won a
header in the box but McEvilly’s well struck close range shot was
somehow blocked by Goodland with McEvilly putting the rebound into the
side netting from close range.
It was no surprise that Simon Spender was replaced by Robbie Foy with
twenty minutes left as Wrexham reverted to 4-3-3 to go in search for the
equaliser. Foy was lively when he came on and went close within a minute
of being on the pitch when he drove narrowly wide of the near post from
the edge of the area.
Foy had another opportunity to create a chance when he was played in
down the left side of the area but although his well struck shot was
beaten away by Goodlad he had options in the box if only he had looked
up. Walters then missed another chance when he was played in down the
middle but when he reached the box he skied his shot hitting the
scoreboard in the stand behind Goodlad’s goal.
As the game entered injury time a slip by Bayliss almost let in Vale for
an undeserved third as Constatine broke through but Ingham did well
turning the ball behind for a corner. There was still time for Wrexham
to have one more chance when Smith delivered a deep cross that Lawrence
flicked back but the ball bounced kindly for Vale as they hacked clear
with the full time whistle sounding shortly after.
OPPOSITION AND FANS: Port Vale took advantage of two mistakes
from Wrexham and converted the chances when they were required to;
Wrexham on the other hand did not. Vale were hanging on at the end and
did not miss a trick to waste time by delaying goal and free kicks and
then blasting the ball high into the stands. The crowd was surprisingly
subdued for an FA Cup tie.
OFFICIALS: Did not notice the referee that much and clamped down
on time wasting and any bad challenges with a yellow card.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Lee McEvilly – the only Wrexham player who
looked like scoring all game and did.
IF YOU WERE DENIS SMITH: We have had defensive problems with a
lack of personnel but from set plays there is no excuse as players
should no their roles when defending free kicks and corners. Ultimately
this proved to be our down fall. |
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Match Reaction |
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Listen to Alex
Smith speaking to BBC Radio Wales
Denis Smith: "The cup is all about results and no
outside of our fans will care much about how we played, or how unfortunate
we might consider ourselves. I wasn't satisfied about our display in the
first half, but we picked up our tempo after the break and overall did
enough to get a draw and even a win. To concede two goals from corners is
almost a sin. That's something work on, but with them changing things up
front by bringing in a new forward right in the deadline and then leaving
out another, we obviously weren't sure what they would do at set pieces. But
we have to adapt and we didn't! We had a cast iron penalty in the first half
and Jon Walters has the stud marks from his ankle to half calf to prove it.
It was not to be and now we must make sure we turn our attention to the
league - making sure we succeed in that!" [Source:
Wrexham AFC] |
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Match Notes |
| Venue |
Vale Park |
| Attendance |
5,046 |
| Half Time |
Port Vale 1 Wrexham 0 |
| Referee |
Darren Deadman (Cambridgeshire) |
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Match Incidents |
| 17' |
Lee McEvillly strikes
the post with an overhead kick |
| 20' |
Michael Husbands has two
bites at the cherry before opening the scoring |
| 63' |
Lee McEvilly beats the
offside strap to slot the ball under Goodlad for the equaliser |
| 65' |
Wrexham fail to clear
the corner and debutant Leon Constatine slams home the winner from
close range. |
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80'
67'
67'
80'