Wrexham 3-0 Stockport County

WREXHAM boss Denis Smith admitted his side were helped to a comfortable win over struggling Stockport County by a moment of madness that saw striker Ludovic Dje dismissed for elbowing Red Dragons defender Paul Linwood.

Dje's seventh-minute departure was followed by a 21st-minute thunderbolt from Dragons' striker Jon Walters before midfielder Mark Jones netted a second-half brace to leave the Wrexham boss admiring the way his team took advantage of their extra numbers.

"Obviously, the sending off helps, but I thought we had started well. We were patient and we got the goals and if you had said 3-0 before the game, well I would have been delighted with 1-0."

Though the Wrexham boss acknowledged his team were given a priceless early gift in the League Two encounter by Dje's indiscipline he insisted the French forward deserved to go.

"It was right in front of him (referee Nigel Miller) and I don't think anybody will have any qualms. He did elbow him - I think it was quite obvious."

And there were no complaints about the officiating from County boss Chris Turner, who did not seek to blame others for his own player's poor judgement in the Racecourse contest.

With only one win all season Turner turned his anger on its only legitimate target - the County players - for the way they rolled over and almost waited for the Wrexham deluge after being reduced to 10 men.

"I didn't see it, but he should have been sent off - so I'm told.

"When Ludo was sent off too many felt that was the end of our game plan and we weren't going to get anything and they went missing."

Aside from at the end of the first half when Dragons' midfielder Danny Williams cleared off the line from County's Ashley Williams after rookie goalkeeper Michael Jones flapped at a corner it was total Dragons domination.

For Smith the 17-year-old goalkeeper's rush of blood when his team were just 1-0 up was one of a few moments of carless ness that left only the faintest of blemishes on what was the cleanest of executions.

"We were sloppy at times. I told them at half-time that good players, when they have extra players and time, do things sharply and don't get sloppy.

"The young keeper was sloppy with the easy one, which could have cost him. But he's young and he's learning and he's had a lot more games than he would have envisaged and I'm delighted with him."

But there was far more in the Wrexham performance to encourage than concern the manager, particularly the quality of the goals - all of which were struck from outside the Stockport box.

Walters found his range from 25 yards with his left foot, while Wales Under-21 international Jones picked his spot beautifully and fired into the bottom corner on 50 minutes after the County backline failed to clear Alex Smith's cross.

Six-minutes later the 21-year-old Rhos prospect followed up his opening effort with a no less precise finish from around 25 yards after being well spotted lurking on the edge of the box by Dragons team-mate Smith.