Half Term Report

So, it's the halfway point of the season and time for a brief overview of how things are going. And by and large it must be said that we're not doing too badly. Comfortably ensconced in the play-offs, we're ideally placed either for a glorious run into the top three or a trip to Cardiff at the very least. That said, mind you, being Wrexham, we could equally be set for an ignominious dip in results which sees us finish below the wretched Swansea but let's hope not. Over recent games there seems to be more consistency about the side.

It's strange how football can make you feel. Mid-November, I was genuinely losing faith, convinced that we would finish the season in mid-table obscurity. What changed this gloomy outlook? I'll tell you. It was the nil-nil draw with Hull City. Such matter is not usually the stuff of inspiration. Indeed, if someone had told me I'd spend £11 standing in the pouring rain and enjoy myself, I'd have gone and spent my money in HMV instead. But inspiration can be found in the strangest places. And the Hull game, for me, could well be the one that gets the season back on course.

What it proved was that, as well as the usual fancy stuff, we could grit it out with the best of them. Far too often this season we've been physically muscled out of the game, but not on this occasion. We should, in fact, have won, but for the heroics of the Tigers' keeper, who played the game of his life. But equally, we could well have lost to some freak deflection after dominating the game. Denis must have been delighted with the performance. OK, it should have been three points rather than one, but the side seemed to show a new resolve. We were awful in going out of the cup at home to Darlington, where too many players seemed to be more interested in showboating rather than producing any effective efforts on goal. But the Hull game and the away thrashing of Bristol Rovers seem to have got things on an even keel again.

We all know that we have some fantastically skillful players but results and displays like the one against Hull show that we can be ugly when needs be. Let's see the players kick the opposition six feet in the air! Let's see some really awful long-ball stuff if it gets us results, who cares!

Something that has been notable recently is the fine form of rookie keeper Paul Whitfield. It's certainly a very dramatic change in his fortunes. This time last year he was being farmed out to various League of Wales clubs; now he's our first choice in the light of Dibble's continued absence. What's more he's currently keeping the more experienced Kristian Rogers on the bench. The Everton game was certainly a baptism of fire, but since then, the young goalie has come on in leaps and bounds. I didn't realise how good he was or if he was any good at all until the Colwyn Bay pre-season friendly. There, he made several top class saves. Alright, it was against inferior opposition, but now he's proving his class on a regular basis. I've no doubt that Dibble, will make an immediate return to the side when his troublesome knee problem clears up, but it's clear that we can now call on a more than adequate replacement. A big improvement on the days when our goalkeeping cover was limited to David Walsh and Mark Morris!

Also crucial to the recent run of form are the two Edwards, Carlos and Paul. Their role in the side is vital. Not only are they required to act as an attacking and creative force but also to perform key defensive duties. Carlos has undergone a transformation this season. He is evidently a class above this division, and quite probably the next one as well. I'm not sure what the work permit situation is, but it is imperative that we keep hold of him for as long as we can. The same goes for his teammate on the left-hand side. Paul Edwards' goal against Bournemouth was brilliant. Brilliant in an oh-my-god-I-can't-believe-what-I've-just-seen kind of way. It was a goal that deserved a bigger stage. If it had been at the World Cup finals, it would still be shown years after the event. Add to this his magnificent trickery crossing for Morrell to score against Rovers, then his potential is clear. To my mind it beggars belief that Swindon let him go. If England's left-sided problem is as severe as we're led to believe, then it may not be too long before we see Sven at the Racecourse.

So as we enter 2003, let's hope the side can put together a decent run, and make a real push for promotion. And equally, let's hope that we stuff Shrewsbury. It's been a fair while since we last met our Salopian rivals, so it should be a cracking double-header. All the best for the new year to all readers and contributors to RP!

The Man from Coedpoeth is James Morris