|
Match Report |
Wrexham slipped back into the relegation
zone following the defeat at home to Notts County although the final
scoreline does not give a true reflection of the game.
The first half was really a none event except from when Wrexham hit the bar
but despite dominating the game after half time, the only breakthrough looked
like to be coming from set plays and the Magpies struck in the dying
minutes to literally steal all three points after Jeff Whitley had
earlier crashed a shot against the angle of the bar and post.
As expected, Wrexham made changes from the side that gave up against
Macclesfield with three changes happening in the defence.
Out went Lee Roche, Mike Williams and Richard Walker with Steve Evans and Ryan
Valentine returning to the backline. Chris Llewellyn returned up front
with Michael Proctor reverting to the right and Simon Spender filling in the position
vacated by Roche who did not even make the bench.
It was a quiet opening from both sides with neither team exerting any
pressure of the game with Mark Jones firing well wide for Wrexham and
Andy Parkinson glanced a header harmlessly wide for the Magpies.
The best chance of the game came midway through the first half when
Valentine delivered a deep cross in from the left that McEvilly headed
well back across goal for Llewellyn who was unlucky to see his header
loop onto the top of the bar and over.
Wrexham lost Mark Jones just before the half was out and he was replaced
by Levi Mackin five minutes before the break with both teams not making
any further changes before the start of the second half.
Wrexham started the second period with a lot more endeavour with a
positive run from Done ending with a poor cross and McEvilly went close
with a dipping right footed shot from the edge of the area that went
narrowly over the bar.
Valentine was then grateful to pick up the game’s first yellow card for
a foul on Dudfield after the County winger escaped his presence on the
touch line but Wrexham were grateful for Valentine’s composure minutes
later when he
headed over a deep cross from underneath his bar.
Wrexham were now exerting greater control on the game following the
introduction of Johnson for Proctor but we only looked dangerous from
set plays but the County defence were more than a match for the long
throws, free kicks and corners that Wrexham piled in.
Lee McEvilly went close with a free kick following a foul on substitute
Mackin but his right footed effort from the edge of the area curled
harmlessly over the bar.
Wrexham were now restricting play-off chasing County to half chances on
the break at best and went even closer to breaking the deadlock midway
through the second half.
A flowing move involving Done down the left created the shooting
opportunity for Whitley after County failed to clear but his shot from
the edge of the area cannoned of the angle of the post and bar and the
Magpies managed to scramble the ball away to safety.
This was hard luck on Wrexham who deserved a goal on the second half
efforts and had appeals for what looked like a certain penalty turned
down when Steve Evans appeared to be pushed in the box when attempting
to connect with a Matty Done corner with just under twenty minutes left.
Wrexham continued to press and Mackin had another chance when the ball
rebounded to him on the edge of the area but he failed to keep his half
volley down and the ball sailed over the bar and into the Kop.
Chris Llewellyn was replaced by Marc Williams for the final ten minutes
as Wrexham remained on top but what seamed like an endless run of long
throws and corners were cancelled out by the well marshalled County
defence. Steve Evans often won the first challenge but there was always
a player in yellow on hand to win the second ball and clear the danger.
Notts County then struck a cruel blow with two minutes left on the clock
that resulted in the three points heading home to Nottingham. Steve
Evans looked to have been in control of the situation but his
misdirected clearance allowed Jay Smith to pick out James Walker who
fired the ball across goal that Simon Spender inadvertently turned into
his own net.
A stunned silence echoed around the Racecourse as the news of Boston’s
4-1 lead over Macclesfield sank in and although Evans almost turned in a
wayward McEvilly shot in during injury time the sound of the final
whistle was greeted with disbelief as Wrexham slipped back into the
relegation zone. |
|
Match Reaction |
|
Brian Carey: "I feel terrible, but it's not about how
I feel, the important thing is how the players feel and I've said to the
players at the end that we've dropped into the bottom two today but we're
not giving up. No such nonsense whatsoever! People will find this strange,
but we've got five games left and they are five games to shape our future.
Under no circumstances have we thrown the towel in. This game can change on
one kick if a ball and I think today there was a bit of anxiety and tension
around the place which is natural. You hear Premiership managers talking
about it and its natural. Particularly in the first we didn't create too
much but in the second half you can't criticise that effort. Credit to the
fans here today, they have clapped the players off the pitch and that says a
lot. That is the best that we have done here for a while. I know time is
running out but we are not giving up, I'm not giving up, absolutely not, and
under no circumstances are we throwing the towel in. It was a cruel blow at
the end, their lad has just shaped to shoot and the ball has come off
Simon's leg and gone in but we've got to take it. That's what's happened but
we've got to move on again." [Source:
Wrexham FC -click here for more] |
|
|
Match Notes |
| Venue |
Racecourse Ground |
| Attendance |
4,557 |
| Half Time |
Wrexham Notts County |
| Referee |
Darren Deadman (Cheshunt) |
|
|
Match Timeline |
|
|
|
Other Match Reports |
|
Wrexham Dragons: Final Whistle
Podcast
BBC:
Wrexham 0-1 Notts County
Notts County FC: Late Own Goal Wins It For Solid Notts
TEAMtalk: Spender gaffe costs Dragons
Wrexham FC: Wrexham 0 Notts County 1
Wrexham MAD: Wrexham 0 Notts. County 1 |
|
League 2 Results |
|
Boston
United 4 Macclesfield 1
Bristol Rovers 2 Bury 0
Darlington 1 Lincoln City 1
Grimsby 2 Wycombe 2
Hartlepool 1 Accrington Stanley 0
Peterborough 2 Mansfield 0
Rochdale 0 Barnet 2
Shrewsbury 2 Milton Keynes Dons 1
Stockport 2 Chester 0
Swindon 2 Torquay 1
Walsall 1 Hereford 0
Wrexham 0 Notts County 1 |
|
League 2 Table |
|
|
|
PLD
|
GD
|
PTS
|
|
1 |
Hartlepool |
42 |
27 |
84 |
|
2 |
Walsall |
42 |
31 |
82 |
|
3 |
Swindon |
42 |
18 |
78 |
|
4 |
Milton Keynes Dons |
42 |
12 |
72 |
|
5 |
Lincoln City |
42 |
12 |
69 |
|
6 |
Stockport |
42 |
9 |
67 |
|
7 |
Shrewsbury |
41 |
21 |
63 |
| 8 |
Wycombe |
42 |
10 |
62 |
| 9 |
Bristol Rovers |
41 |
4 |
61 |
| 10 |
Notts County |
42 |
4 |
60 |
| 11 |
Peterborough |
42 |
6 |
59 |
| 12 |
Darlington |
42 |
0 |
59 |
| 13 |
Rochdale |
42 |
12 |
56 |
| 14 |
Barnet |
42 |
-10 |
55 |
| 15 |
Grimsby |
42 |
-18 |
54 |
| 16 |
Chester |
42 |
-5 |
51 |
| 17 |
Hereford |
42 |
-7 |
51 |
| 18 |
Mansfield |
42 |
-3 |
50 |
| 19 |
Bury |
42 |
-15 |
45 |
| 20 |
Accrington Stanley |
42 |
-12 |
44 |
| 21 |
Macclesfield |
41 |
-17 |
44 |
| 22 |
Boston United |
42 |
-25 |
42 |
|
23 |
Wrexham |
41 |
-28 |
39 |
|
24 |
Torquay |
42 |
-26 |
32 |
|
|
Next Game |
|
Lincoln
City (a),
Coca Cola League 2
Saturday 14
April 2007, Kick Off @ 15:00 |
|
58'
40'
84'
40'
58'
84'