Match Report |
Wrexham can leave Adams Park with their heads held high
after a nervous opening to the game when they found themselves a goal
down after only six minutes of a play.
The game summed up the old football term of ‘a game of two halves’ well
with Wrexham happy to be on level terms at half time but disappointed
not to have left with all three points come full time after a second
half that remained goalless.
Wrexham’s defensive frailties shown at Port Vale in their final pre
season game revealed it’s ugly ahead after Simon Spender was caught out
of position and this allowed Wycombe’s Chris Palmer to take full
advantage of the attacking situation. His centre across goal caught out
the flat footed Wrexham defence and Tommy Mooney’s weak shot squirmed
under the body of Ingham when the Wrexham keeper should have pulled off
a save.
Wrexham looked nervous from this point in and their only noticeable
effort on goal was when Mark Jones crashed a free kick high over the
Wycombe stand, as efforts on goal were now few and far between.
Both full backs, Valentine and Spender, were having difficult afternoons
as Wrexham found it difficult to cope with the attacks from their hosts.
Palmer was enjoying too much freedom afforded to him by Spender and he
almost took full advantage of this space as he cut inside and flashed a
shot across the face of Ingham’s goal.
With Wycombe not making the most of their first half possession, Wrexham
struck back on the half hour mark following a howler from keeper Ricardo
Batista, which allowed Mark Jones to bring Wrexham back on level terms.
It was a mistake up there with the best of them, as the on loan Fulham
keeper charged out of his area to close down a through ball for Neil
Roberts. Batista failed to find touch with at least two attempts and the
ball broke kindly to Mark Jones and despite being around forty yards
from goal, the Wales under 21 international sunk a lob into the empty
net with supreme accuracy.
After picking up the Red Passion Goal of the Season award for last
season, the Wrexham born midfielder put down a bench mark for the rest
of the season and to be honest I doubt any other player in a red shirt
would have found the back of the net if left in a similar position.
The equaliser composed Wrexham and they played some decent football
during the next five minutes with Mark Jones again going the closest but
he dragged his low left footed shot wide of the near post after cutting
in from the right wing.
Wycombe responded late on in the first half with the dangerous Palmer
setting up Grant from a corner but the on loan Chelsea striker pulled
his hot wide of Ingham’s near post.
Ingham showed indecision when a shot was deflected into his path by Done
but instead of pouncing on the ball he opted to hack clear for a throw
in, as he was afraid of giving away a free kick for a back pass, as the
first half ended one each.
Wrexham started the second half well but were on the back foot when
Jermaine Easter broke quickly from a Wrexham corner after Mark Jones was
dispossessed. It did not take long for the Wrexham midfield to get a
strangle hold on the game and in a ten minute spell after the hour mark,
Wrexham manufactured a couple of opportunities for the front two of Neil
Roberts and Chris Llewellyn.
Simon Spender, who had a much better second half in defence and attack,
found himself in space down the right and his deep cross was met by
Roberts at the far post but he could not get enough purchase on his
header to trouble Batista in the Wycombe goal.
Wrexham continued to press and a seraching diagonal from Mark Jones sent
Roberts clear of the offside trap down the left channel and his cross to
the far post was headed goalwards by Llewellyn but he was unlucky to see
his effort rebound off the outside of the post and Wycombe cleared the
danger.
The impressive Palmer got the better of Spender and Mark Jones down the
left but his shot was too close to Ingham and the Wrexham keeper pulled
off a simple save. Ingham was called into action moments later when he
had to rush off his line to force Bloomfield wide and this allowed
Valentine to get back to clear the danger.
A mistake by Spender almost let Wycombe in after Steve Evans was at full stretch
to head difficult ball into the air, the Wrexham full back just headed
the ball back down into the path of substitute Dixon but he fired his
effort into the home fans behind Ingham’s goal.
Wrexham had one last chance with the game heading into injury time after Matty
Done got clear of his full back down the left and his low cross to the
far post was perfect for Roberts. The Wrexham skipper did not get a
clean contact on his shot and although it beat keeper Batista, it struck
the body of Russell Martin on the line and this allowed Wycombe to
escape with a point. |
Match Reaction |
Denis Smith: "I thought it was an
excellent performance. We began well and then gave away a sloppy goal, all
the more disappointing because it was something we had worked on in
training. But I liked the reaction from the players, to close people down in
that heat and all the way through the game was very pleasing. I got people,
who others told me couldn't do it, like Darren Ferguson to do it. If you
look at us, then it was a very attacking midfield, with the likes of mark
Jones, Matty Done and Darren in there, but they did their defensive roles as
well as the attacking work. In the second half we have had enough chances to
win it and that is the only disappointing part of the performance - but
overall I'm absolutely delighted." [Source:
Wrexham AFC]
Paul Lambert: "It was tough. You
couldn't get a bet on the heat being the way it was. The players were
terrific in their effort and they tried to win the game the best they could.
Three mistakes in one move cost us but if you had asked me whether I'd take
a point at beginning of the game I would have said 'yes'. We had a great
start and sometimes there is a tendency once you've got that early goal that
people think you'll get two or three. It doesn't always work that way even
though we did have chances. Fair play to Wrexham, they hung in there and we
got punished." [Source:
Wycombe Wanderers FC] |
|
Wycombe Wanderers |
Starting XI:
31 |
Ricardo Batista |
25 |
Sam Stockley |
04 |
Russell Martin |
05 |
Will Antwi |
06 |
Mike Williamson |
30 |
Anthony Grant
69' |
03 |
Chris Palmer |
10 |
Matt Bloomfield |
07 |
Kevin Betsy |
16 |
Tommy Mooney
|
09 |
Jermaine Easter
78' |
Subs:
02 |
Lewis Christon |
08 |
Stefan Oakes
69' |
18 |
Jonny Dixon
78' |
22 |
Sergio Torres |
32 |
Jamie Young (GK) |
Stats:
Shots on Goal: |
10 |
Shots on Target: |
2 |
Shots off Target: |
8 |
Possession: |
62% |
Fouls Conceded: |
10 |
Corners: |
10 |
Yellow Cards: |
0 |
Red Cards: |
0 |
|
Wrexham |
Starting XI:
01 |
Michael Ingham |
14 |
Simon Spender |
05 |
Steve Evans |
06 |
Dennis Lawrence |
03 |
Ryan Valentine
|
07 |
Mark Jones
|
08 |
Danny Williams |
10 |
Darren Ferguson |
20 |
Matty Done
|
23 |
Neil Roberts |
11 |
Chris Llewellyn |
Subs:
12 |
Matt Crowell |
13 |
Michael Jones (GK) |
16 |
Levi Mackin |
24 |
Gareth Evans |
27 |
Jamie Reed |
Stats:
Shots on Goal: |
9 |
Shots on Target: |
3 |
Shots off Target: |
6 |
Possession: |
38% |
Fouls Conceded: |
12 |
Corners: |
1 |
Yellow Cards: |
3 |
Red Cards: |
0 |
|
Match Notes |
Venue |
Adams Park |
Attendance |
4,763 |
Half Time |
Wycombe 1 Wrexham 1 |
Referee |
P Miller (Bedfordshire) |
|
|