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Match Report |
Some goals at last for Wrexham
By: Bram Humphries,
Wales
on SundayWREXHAM'S dismal goalless run ended in bizarre fashion but it wasn't
enough to earn them their first win since the opening day of the season.
Denis Smith's men had fired blanks for four games and the boss had been
working hard all week to bring new faces and better luck to The
Racecourse. And luck certainly played a part as they re-found their
scoring touch.
But they were undone by some shaky defending as Bury's new Welsh signing
Matthew Tipton earned a point for the home side. It could have been
worse, though, were it not for a superb save in the closing stages by
Michael Ingham as Tipton burst into the box and fired in a hard, low
shot.
After strong early pressure by the home side, Lee McEvilly gave the
visitors the lead - their first goal in more than 400 minutes of
football - the ball bobbling into the net off his shin after Jon Walters
delicate through-ball left the home defence flat-footed.
The lead lasted just two minutes though. A clearance by Reds keeper
Michael Ingham hit Jon Newby who centred for Tipton.
His shot was blocked on the line but the ball fell to Brian Barry-Murphy
who slotted home from 15 yards.
The goal set a record as Bury became the first club to score 1,000 goals
in each of the top four tiers of the English league.
Then Robbie Foy, who replaced McEvilly, forced another mistake in the
Bury defence and raced towards the edge of the box where home captain
Dave Flitcroft made a lunging challenge the ball looping into the top
corner of the net. Although Foy later claimed the goal, Smith said: "It
looked a perfect own goal. I think Foy would be lucky to be given that
one."
Wrexham's defensive frailties showed up again early in the second half
when Tipton was given far too much time and space to curl home Bury's
second equaliser from 25 yards.
McEvilly had received treatment on his injured ankle before kick-off and
joins the queue for the Racecourse treatment room.
Centre-half Shaun Pejic will be out for two months with knee ligament
damage and hernia victim Lee Roche is another long-term casualty, with
six more in the queue for the treatment room. And centre-half Dave
Bayliss added to Smith's woes with a straight red card in the last few
minutes for smashing Tipton in the face as he threatened to break.
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Regardless of Tipton's
overreaction, it was a red.
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From Henry J
Have your say |
Smith added: "I know what the lad was trying to do, but I don't think
the ref had any option but to send him off.
"We have had two sent off this season and we are not a dirty team, it
just adds to the problems we have to put up with. But I will just accept
it and get on with it and prepare for Monday.
"There were too many problems defensively - not just at the back,
defending starts with the front two - and to take the lead twice and not
win is a disappointment.
"We have to understand that we can't try to play like Real Madrid every
week, we have to learn to win the battling games like this one. We can't
play the beautiful game every week."
Former Wales Under-21 international Tipton, who had been close to
signing for Graham Barrow in the summer, finally made the switch to Bury
on Friday after spending the opening weeks of the season at Mansfield.
And he could have opened his account with his first touch but Ingham
made a smart save with his legs after just 30 seconds to deny the
Conwy-born forward his dream start.
Wrexham's Paul Iinwood could have a debut goal too but the former
Tranmere defender, who signed on Friday, directed a free header over the
bar from six yards out. Mark Jones put in another impressive performance
and was denied a goal by the fingertips of Bury's Welsh keeper Neil
Edwards.
Barrow said: "Our defending was circus stuff at times and the silly
mistakes have to stop.
"Tipton played well and gave us a lift but we caused our own problems.
We have to take positives from it: we created chances and we have some
people to come back, but it is a frustrating game at times." |
|
League 2 Table |
|
Pos |
Team |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
GD |
Pts |
|
1 |
Notts County |
5 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
6 |
2 |
4 |
11 |
|
2 |
Rochdale |
5 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
10 |
5 |
5 |
10 |
|
3 |
Barnet |
5 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
4 |
3 |
10 |
|
4 |
Leyton Orient |
5 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
7 |
0 |
10 |
|
5 |
Wycombe Wanderers |
5 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
10 |
5 |
5 |
9 |
|
6 |
Cheltenham Town |
5 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
9 |
5 |
4 |
9 |
|
7 |
Darlington |
5 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
8 |
6 |
2 |
8 |
| 8 |
Peterborough United |
5 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
7 |
| 9 |
Grimsby Town |
4 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
7 |
| 10 |
Carlisle United |
5 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
-1 |
7 |
| 11 |
Chester City |
4 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
8 |
7 |
1 |
6 |
| 12 |
Rushden and Diamonds |
4 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
6 |
| 13 |
Lincoln City |
5 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
7 |
7 |
0 |
6 |
| 14 |
Oxford United |
5 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
6 |
6 |
0 |
6 |
| 15 |
Northampton Town |
5 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
0 |
6 |
| 16 |
Mansfield Town |
5 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
7 |
7 |
0 |
5 |
| 17 |
Wrexham |
5 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
0 |
5 |
| 18 |
Stockport County |
5 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
6 |
8 |
-2 |
4 |
| 19 |
Bristol Rovers |
5 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
7 |
10 |
-3 |
4 |
| 20 |
Bury |
5 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
10 |
-4 |
4 |
| 21 |
Shrewsbury Town |
5 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
6 |
-3 |
3 |
| 22 |
Boston United |
5 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
10 |
-5 |
3 |
|
23 |
Torquay United |
5 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
7 |
-5 |
2 |
|
24 |
Macclesfield Town |
4 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
8 |
-4 |
1 |
 |
|
|
Match Notes |
| Venue |
Gigg Lane |
| Attendance |
2,468 |
| Half Time |
Bury 1 Wrexham 2 |
| Referee |
Paul Robinson (Yorkshire) |
|
|
Other Match Reports |
|
BBC: Bury 2-2 Wrexham
Bury FC: Bury 2 Wrexham 2
Wrexham AFC: Bury 2 Wrexham 2
Wrexham MAD: Bury 2 Wrexham 2 |
|
Other Games |
|
League 2
Results: Barnet
0
Grimsby 1
Boston United 2 Mansfield 2
Carlisle 0 Northampton 1
Cheltenham 1 Leyton Orient1
Chester 4 Darlington 4
Notts County 2 Bristol Rovers 0
Oxford United 1 Stockport 1
Peterborough 0 Torquay 0
Rochdale 3 Macclesfield 1
Rushden & Diamonds 1 Lincoln City 1
Shrewsbury 1 Wycombe 1 |
|
Next Game |
|
Barnet (h),
Coca Cola League 2
Monday 29
August 2005, Kick Off 15:00 |
|
81'
72'
87'
72'
87'
81'
