New Year cheer for the Dragons
19 December 2003
By Mark Currie, Daily Post
David Rhodes |
I would guess it will be the biggest crowd of the season
|
WREXHAM look set to welcome in
the New Year with their biggest gate of the season following Sheffield
Wednesday's exit from the FA Cup.
Scunthorpe United's penalty shoot-out success at Hillsborough means they will be
in third round action on Saturday, January 3, while the best-supported side in
the Second Division will be at the Racecourse the same afternoon.
Wrexham managing director David Rhodes said the visitors would be offered 3,000
tickets for the match but, following consultations with the police, a 1pm
kickoff has been agreed and no fans will be able to pay cash at the turnstiles
on the day of the game.
"I would guess it will be the biggest crowd of the season," said Rhodes.
"Sheffield have a huge following and it would be nice to think that if we do
well over the Christmas period, we might have 5,000 of our own supporters in the
ground."
Manager Denis Smith was pleased, but not totally surprised that Wednesday were
beaten by their Third Division opponents following a 2-2 draw in the first
meeting at Glanford Park.
Yesterday he said: "Scunthorpe might possibly have felt they had blown their
chance after letting slip a two-goal lead in the original tie, but they are on a
good run at the moment - 13 unbeaten before last night, I think.
"And from all accounts Sheffield Wednesday missed a fair few chances last night
but, all credit to Scunthorpe, they hung in there and it shows the confidence
they have built up over the course of that run."
While not discounting the financial implications of Wednesday's visit to the
Racecourse, Smith said he had not wanted the prospect of another blank Saturday
for his players.
"So all round it's a great result for us," he added. "Hopefully they will bring
quite a few fans and we'll do the same. I'm hoping we also get a good crowd for
the home game against Blackpool on the Sunday after Christmas, because they also
have a decent away following."
The holiday programme of four games in a fortnight gets under way at Grimsby
Town's Blundell Park tomorrow and Smith will have central defender Steve Roberts
available for selection, following his absence last week.
Premier Cup Live on BBC |
The BBC has chosen the FAW Cup quarter-final between TNS and Wrexham as their live match. The game will now take place on Wednesday 28 January @ 6:55pm. |
Chris Armstrong and Craig Morgan
should both be in contention for the Boxing Day visit to Stockport County, with
Darren Ferguson also back in the fold after a three-match suspension.
The Dragons boss has not himself or his players a points target for the festive
period but said: "The aim is to be going into the New Year in a good position,
which should help financially and mentally.
"We have the basis on which to build because, generally this season, we have
been hard to break down and hard to beat. We've won five away games so far and
if we can take that into double figures that's a solid platform from which to go
forward.
"I know from experience that teams can come from way down the league with a late
run and at some stage we need to put together a run of unbeaten games.
"If that begins on Saturday, there's a long way to go until the end of the
season and we would have to go at full tilt to win automatic promotion, but the
more realistic target is the play-offs."