|
Match Report |
Wrexham climbed out of the relegation
zone with a goalless draw at home to rivals Chester but the score line,
for once, resembled the balance of play with both teams lacking any
quality in the final third.
Chris Llewellyn went close for Wrexham when his first half header from a
free kick rebounded off the cross bar but it was Chester who had the
clearest opportunities from open play.
Wrexham dominated large spells of the game with Chester only finding
themselves on top for a fifteen minute spell during the second half
following a tactical change by Brian Carey.
Wrexham were forced into three changes to the starting line up with
Shaun Pejic and Neil Roberts ruled out through injury and Mark Jones
suspended after collecting his fifth booking of the season last weekend.
In came Chris Llewellyn – returning from a one game ban – along with
Gareth Evans in defence and youngster Andy Fleming in midfield.
Chris Llewellyn was the first to try his luck on goal but his effort
from outside of the area failed to find the target as the open exchanges
were mainly restricted to the centre of the field.
Wrexham switched to a 5-3-2 formation with Mike Williams playing on the
left of a back three and this restricted Chester’s attacking options with the
Wrexham defence in commanding form.
Garrett forced the first save of the game from Danby midway through the
first half and Ruddy was called into action for the first time when he
comfortably held from Yeo after the striker found space down the Chester
right.
Free kicks were conceded by both teams all over the park and this
resulted in the game lacking any flow and the visitors found themselves
with three names in referee’s note book just after the half hour mark.
The first foul resulted in Martinez ending up in the book and Llewellyn
crashed his header from the resulting the free kick against the cross
bar as he found himself unmarked at the far post.
The second booking came following a good burst by McEvilly from the
halfway line and after he was brought down by Bolland on the edge of the
area after nut megging one defender on the half way line. Wrexham
attempted to work an opening form the free kick but Andy Fleming dragged
his effort wide of the far post.
The third booking for Chester was a needless one when Hessey picked up a
caution for kicking the ball away just after the half hour mark.
For the next ten minutes Chester began to stretch the Wrexham defence
but chances still remained at a premium at either end. A short back pass
from Barron almost caused problems for Wrexham but Mike Williams managed
to recover in time and Ruddy required two attempts to collect a Martinez
corner as both sides struggled to create any decent chances from open
play.
There were no changes from both sides at half time with Wrexham out
early for the second half but the this followed the same pattern as its
predecessor as it took almost fifteen minutes for the first corner to be
won as Ruddy claimed well from Martinez’s centre.
Wrexham were the first team to make a change with Andy Fleming replaced
by Mike Carvill with the former Charlton striker slotting behind the
front two as Wrexham switched to what looked like a narrow 3-4-3.
If anything, the changed worked against Wrexham as the home side
struggled for the next ten minutes with Chester enjoying their best
spell in the game without ever troubling the Wrexham goal, although
Ruddy did well to punch clear whilst under pressure from a Chester free
kick.
Carvill’s introduction did mean that Wrexham had a player who ran at the
opposition and on one occasion he did get to the by-line but his cross
had far too much power for Chris Llewellyn at the far post.
Chester made changes midway through the second half, as Steel replaced
Meechan, and Chester had their best opportunity of the game with twenty
minutes left after forcing a free kick down the left.
For once, the ball was delivered with quality into the box and Hessey
escaped his marker at the back post but his header was well saved by
Ruddy with the Wrexham defence recovering to hack clear the danger.
Yeo and Artell became the fourth and fifth Chester player in the book as
Mike Williams also picked up a yellow card for dissent but at least he
prevented a quick Chester break down the right by blocking a quick free
kick.
Wrexham sparked back into life in the final ten minutes but the game
remained scrappy despite the introduction of Matty Done and Marc
Williams as late substitutes for Scott Barron and Matty Done.
Chris Llewellyn curled a right footed shot wide of the far post as
Wrexham went in search for the winner and substitute Marc Williams
should have done better from within the D but his left footed shot
lacked any power to trouble Danby in the Chester goal.
Chester also used their remaining substitutes as the game died out but
Linwood picked up Chester’s sixth booking of the afternoon, and a likely
FA punishment for ill-discipline, but the resulting free kick was wasted
by Wrexham as the three minutes of injury time failed to create any
opportunities for what turn out to be an inevitable goalless draw. |
|
Match Reaction |
|
Brian Carey: "I think that was an improvement on the
last two performances definitely, especially as there was more there for us
in the first-half. We fell into the trap a little bit in the second-half of
conceding too many free-kicks, and that invited the pressure back on us, but
overall it was a decent performance. It was always going to be a tough game.
If Chris had scored in the first half then it's a different game.
Unfortunately, he didn't, but the first goal was always going to be crucial
whichever way it came. I thought we coped quite well defensively, we changed
the shape and formation a little bit today and it was nice that we were able
to do that. We've played three at the back at times today and at least we
have now got options." [Source:
Wrexham FC - click here for more] |
|
|
Other Match Reports |
|
Wrexham Dragons: Final Whistle
Podcast
BBC:
Wrexham 0-0 Chester
Chester City FC:
No goals at The Racecourse
TEAMtalk: Dragons move out of drop zone
Wrexham FC: Wrexham 0 Chester City 0
Wrexham MAD: Wrexham 0 Chester City 0 |
|
League 2 Results |
|
Walsall 1 Lincoln City
2 (Friday)
Accrington Stanley 0 Stockport 1
Boston United 0 Shrewsbury 3
Bristol Rovers 1 MK Dons 1
Bury 0 Wycombe 4
Hereford 2 Barnet 0
Macclesfield 2 Peterborough 1
Mansfield 1 Grimsby 2
Notts County 1 Rochdale 2
Swindon 1 Darlington 1
Torquay 0 Hartlepool 1
Wrexham 0 Chester 0 (Sunday) |
|
League 2 Table |
|
|
|
PLD
|
GD
|
PTS
|
|
1 |
Walsall |
33 |
25 |
64 |
|
2 |
Hartlepool |
33 |
18 |
64 |
|
3 |
Lincoln City |
33 |
18 |
62 |
|
4 |
Swindon |
32 |
17 |
61 |
|
5 |
Milton Keynes Dons |
32 |
13 |
59 |
|
6 |
Stockport |
33 |
12 |
56 |
|
7 |
Wycombe |
33 |
12 |
54 |
| 8 |
Notts County |
33 |
4 |
46 |
| 9 |
Darlington |
33 |
1 |
46 |
| 10 |
Bristol Rovers |
32 |
-1 |
44 |
| 11 |
Hereford |
32 |
-4 |
44 |
| 12 |
Chester |
31 |
1 |
42 |
| 13 |
Peterborough |
33 |
-5 |
42 |
| 14 |
Shrewsbury |
29 |
14 |
41 |
| 15 |
Barnet |
32 |
-10 |
39 |
| 16 |
Mansfield |
32 |
-1 |
38 |
| 17 |
Grimsby |
33 |
-19 |
38 |
| 18 |
Bury |
32 |
-8 |
37 |
| 19 |
Rochdale |
31 |
4 |
35 |
| 20 |
Accrington Stanley |
32 |
-9 |
33 |
| 21 |
Macclesfield |
32 |
-11 |
33 |
|
22 |
Wrexham |
32 |
-23 |
31 |
|
23 |
Boston United |
33 |
-25 |
31 |
|
24 |
Torquay |
33 |
-23 |
25 |
|
|
Next Game |
|
Grimsby
Town (a),
Coca Cola League 2
Tuesday 20
February 2007, Kick Off @ 19:45 |
|
61'
85'
85'
61'
85'
85'