Match Report

Both teams were restricted to hardly any decent goal scoring opportunities as defences remained on top through out what was a poor game of football contested by two poor teams.

Wrexham made just the two changes from last weekend with Jim Whitley replaced by Robbie Garrett and Mark Jones had to settle for a place on the bench as Matty Done started down the left wing.

Mansfield forced the first corner of the game following a miss clearance by Richard Walker but Wrexham found themselves soon on the attack with Done the main outlet all afternoon down the left flank.

Done’s options were reduced after only five minutes when captain Neil Roberts limped off and he was replaced by Mike Carvill up front.

Done was certainly enjoying himself down the left and had the better of his man on a number of occasions but his crossing frequently failed to clear the front post but this did allow Wrexham to force some early corners.

Danny Williams collected his tenth booking of the season just after ten minutes for a late challenge on Martin Gritton and this caution means Wrexham will be without Williams for the two games over Easter through suspension.

Mansfield were finding a lot of space between the Wrexham defence and midfield but they to lacked any quality with the final ball, especially when Mike Williams was twice well beaten on the touch line by Simon Brown.

The crowd and Done were appealing for a penalty when the winger went down after trying to burst through two Mansfield players on the edge of the area but the referee just waived play on.

The best chance of the half fell to Michael Carvill after McEvilly did well to send him clean through down the right channel but the striker delayed his shot too long and was eventually ran out of play by the Mansfield defence who had now recovered.

Referee Singh thankfully waived away Mansfield’s appeals for a penalty when Brown went down under the challenge of Mike Williams inside the Wrexham penalty area.

Wrexham had an escape on the half hour mark when goalkeeper Anthony Williams failed to deal with the ball on the edge of the area but Spender was well positioned to clear a weak shot off the line.

The last noticeable chance of the first half went to Wrexham after Done did well to chase down a superb flick by garret from spender’s pass and just arrived at the ball before White and Mansfield’s keeper ended in the book for his foul on Done just outside of the area. McEvilly took the resulting free kick and was unlucky when his curling effort from a tight angle crashed off the cross bar.

Mansfield were forced into a change before half time when Hjelde limped off to be replaced with Charlton and the Stags used another substitute during half time with Sleath on for Dawson.

Wrexham made no changes during the break and started the second half well with Done this time supplying a good cross from the left but there was no Wrexham player in the box to get on the end of it and Proctor then headed over McEvilly’s cross but the on loan striker was penalised for a foul.

But it was Mansfield who should have been celebrating just after the half hour mark when Mansfield delivered a quality ball from the right and Martin Gritton arrived unmarked at the near post but somehow steered his close range header wide when it was easier to score.

This was a lucky escape for Wrexham and the near 8,000 crowd responded by upping the atmosphere but chances still remained at a premium despite Mark Jones replacing Michael Proctor for the final twenty five minutes.

Mike Williams was pushing further forward from left back as the half progressed and he twice managed to beat the Mansfield full back on the touch line. His first cross was cut out for a corner but after the Stags failed to clear this, Williams delivered another decent low ball across the box that McEvilly was agonisingly close to converting at the back post.

Lee Roche replaced Simon Spender for the last three minutes of normal time and another opportunity fell to Wrexham during the four minutes of injury time.

Mark Jones delivered a deep corner that McEvilly headed back towards goal and keeper White literally just stuck his hand out to turn the ball over for Wrexham’s eleventh corner of the game.

There was barely enough time for Mansfield to break quickly and force their fourth corner but after the ball was partially cleared, Anthony Williams held a well struck shot from the edge of the area for what was the past piece of action of a poor game.

Match Reaction

Brian Carey: "We wanted more, we had a lot of people in the ground and wanted to put on a show and get the win. It would have done us the power of good to get three points but it wasn't to be and we had to settle for one. We've got to take positives out of the clean sheet, but we were just missing a final touch and that killer instinct." [Source: BBC Sport]

Wrexham

Starting XI:

33	Anthony Williams
14	Simon Spender 88'
04	Shaun Pejic
06	Richard Walker
15	Mike Williams
18	Michael Proctor 65'
08	Danny Williams
26	Robbie Garrett
20	Matty Done
23	Neil Roberts 5'
09	Lee McEvilly

Subs:

02	Lee Roche 88'
07	Mark Jones 65'
10	Michael Carvill 5'
13	Michael Jones (GK)
24	Gareth Evans

Stats:

Mansfield Town

Starting XI:

01	Jason White
02	Johnny Mullins
05	Jon Olav Hjelde 39'
06	Alex baptiste
03	Gareth Jellyman
07	Matthew Hamshaw
14	Bryan Hodge
08	Stephen Dawson 46'
11	Michael Boulding 78'
10	Simon Brown
20	Martin Gritton

Subs:

09	Barry Conlon
16	Nathan Arnold 78'
19	Carl Muggleton (GK)
21	Asa Charlton 39'
23	Danny Sleath 46'

Stats:

Match Notes

Match Incidents

Other Match Reports

Wrexham Dragons: Final Whistle Podcast

BBC: Wrexham 0-0 Mansfield

TEAMtalk: Dragons and Stags in stalemate

Wales on Sunday: Why Dragons can escape that dreaded drop

Wrexham FC: Wrexham 0 Mansfield Town 0

Wrexham MAD: Wrexham 0 Mansfield Town 0

League 2 Results

Hartlepool 3 Chester 0 (Friday)

Barnet 2 Darlington 1
Boston United 0 Bury 1
Hereford 0 Milton Keynes Dons 0
Macclesfield v Bristol Rovers - Rearranged

Notts County 2 Grimsby 0
Peterborough 3 Wycombe 3
Rochdale 2 Lincoln City 0
Swindon 2 Shrewsbury 1
Torquay 1 Stockport 0
Walsall 3 Accrington Stanley 2
Wrexham 0 Mansfield 0

League 2 Table

Next Game

Macclesfield Town (a), Coca Cola League 2

Saturday 07 April 2007, Kick Off @ 15:00