Huddersfield 1-2 Wrexham

WREXHAM may be down - with administration seemingly only days away - but judging by this magnificent performance, they are far from out.

Following the withdrawal of former chairman Mark Guterman's takeover offer, the future of the club under owner Alex Hamilton remains extremely parlous.

But, on the field, the team showed encouraging signs of being able to cope with the 10-point penalty imposed on any club that slips into administration.

An injury crisis which meant only four of Saturday's starting XI would have been picked in Denis Smith's best side only served to inspire the stand-ins to record a thoroughly deserved victory.

And all this despite playing with only 10 men for the last 10 minutes after Hector Sam's sending off for stamping.

As he celebrated the end of a run of four successive league defeats, the Dragons manager revealed that a double rollocking had produced the right response from his players.

"We needed the win after a couple of disappointing results," Smith said. "We should have beaten Torquay in midweek and that's why the players were given a roasting.

"They received another one on Thursday and we got a response against Huddersfield.

"It's not something I like doing, but it worked because people took responsibility.

"But we played good football, we were disciplined and worked hard and we deserved our win."

After figuring prominently early on, Andy Holt put Wrexham ahead in the ninth minute when he out-jumped Nathan Clarke to connect with Darren Ferguson's cross from the right and send a looping header past Paul Rachubka from 12 yards for his fourth goal of the season.

With Ferguson and Scott Green anchoring midfield and Mark Jones and Holt driving forward, Wrexham were in cruise control as Huddersfield's young guns struggled to make their mark.

The Terriers were pushed back on their heels by some elegant, one-touch football before two superb saves by Matt Baker in three minutes around the half-hour mark kept Wrexham ahead.

When Danny Schofield's cross from the left reached Junior Mendes on the six-yard box, the striker, on as a replacement for the injured Andy Booth, seemed certain to score, but Baker somehow pushed away his shot.

Three minutes later, Mendes' exquisite left-foot drive seemed destined for the corner of the net before Baker threw himself full-length to his right to keep it out.

Against the run of play, Huddersfield equalised four minutes before the break.

A hopeful cross from the left by ex-Cardiff midfielder Tony Carss was misjudged by Shaun Pejic and then Craig Morgan allowed Schofield two touches before he lashed the ball past Baker from an acute angle via the crossbar.

Holt's calf strain produced a Wrexham reshuffle at half-time with Chris Llewellyn moving to left wing-back and Chris Armstrong replacing him up front. Within five minutes, the former Spurs striker had put the Dragons ahead.

First he used his experience to persuade David Mirfin to make an unnecessary challenge as he chased Ferguson's pass into the area and then, having won the penalty, Armstrong coolly converted the spot-kick by sending Rachubka the wrong way.

Despite all their possession, Huddersfield only seriously threatened the Wrexham goal once - Baker saving Clarke's header in the 55th minute - even after Sam was sent off three minutes after replacing Juan Ugarte late on. The Trinidadian first fouled Jon Worthington and then stamped on him.

Two minutes from time, man of the match Green was replaced by Matty Crowell. Green spent three months with Wrexham when they won promotion in 2003 and last played for Telford in April before the club went into liquidation.

"I worked in my own building business in Bolton over the summer and thought about hanging up my boots," he said.

"I then decided to ask Denis Smith if I could train with them again and I'm now about 75 per cent fit.

"The players have got to get on with our job, let the people with the money get on with theirs and hopefully things will get sorted out."

Said Huddersfield manager Peter Jackson, "We didn't play well. But, full credit to Wrexham, they came here with a game plan.

"They were playing for their lives and I think that showed. Wrexham should take encouragement from what we've done in the last 15 months after we went into administration."

So a good day all-round for Wrexham. Having picked up three points, a bucket collection at the Galpharm Stadium raised £3,000 for their plight.