Dragons face favourites

By Mark Currie, Daily Post

13 August 2005

Denis Smith

My aims for the club are to be successful over the course of the whole season, not over 90 minutes

WREXHAM are back on the road again today - hoping for better luck than they enjoyed at Notts County in midweek.

A 9Oth-minute goal at Meadow Lane was a cruel blow for the Dragons at the conclusion of a match they dominated for long spells, but manager Denis Smith - less than impressed by the performance of Suffolk referee Mick Thorpe - was happy enough with his side's overall display.

"If we were coming off the back of a win or a draw, the lads would be a little more relaxed, so in that sense there's a bit of pressure on them," he said.

"But that's not from me, it's from people who are interested more in the result than the performance.

"It's something we have to live with, but I don't agree with them."

The Dragons face a stern test at League Two promotion favourites Northampton Town, but Smith will not be too concerned if they fail to win.

"My aims for the club are to be successful over the course of the whole season, not over 90 minutes.

"I'm delighted with the way we've started, although I'm sure there are many people out there telling me what I should be doing, and we'll know how good a team we are by next May at the outside.

"If we get the answer before then it will be because we've either blown up spectacularly or we have run away with the league.

"But we have to accept we can't win every game we play and that's what I have to preach to other people."

The Dragons boss revealed his extended family will take more than a passing interest in today's match because the brother of Northampton defender Sean Dyche is married to his niece.

"There will be family in both camps, so there's a bit of personal pride at stake, but we can't pretend it's anything other than a difficult game for us down there," he said.

"The bookmakers are very rarely wrong and they've made Northampton favourites for the title.
 

"But our record away from home has been excellent for most of my time at Wrexham and I'll be delighted if we can continue that tomorrow. I don't worry too much about away games, it's our home form that has let us down in recent seasons and that needs to improve.

"I've got some good characters in my squad and I saw how disappointed they were immediately after Tuesday night at Notts County. I wouldn't mind being in the trenches with my players because they have the right attitude."

Northampton boss Colin Calderwood, whose team lost 2-1 at home to Barnet in midweek, told his local paper that Wrexham were not the opposition he would have chosen for their next game.
 

"Our scout says that of all the sides he's seen so far Wrexham are the most impressive," he said. "It's going to be a difficult game and we always knew it would be."

Acknowledging the compliment, Smith replied: "I'm delighted Colin feels that way but how many teams has his scout seen this season? I don't mind praise because I know we are a decent team, but the same could be said of them.

"When you look at their squad and their set-up now everything is geared to moving forward. It's taken a bit of time but Colin's a young manager who looks to have all the right credentials.

"He's got a mix of young and experienced players and they've got a couple of strikers any team would like. They've been in the play-offs in each of the last two seasons and now they've got quality men in Eoin Jess and Ian Taylor, so I think they will be there or thereabouts again this year."

With no injury problems, Smith is likely to name an unchanged line-up for the third game in a row, though he has Matt Crowell fit again and available to strengthen his options.

Northampton welcome back striker Andy Kirk for his first match of the season following his recovery from an ankle injury.

A £125,000 deadline day signing from Boston United, the Northern Ireland international scored seven goals in 10 outings for the Cobblers in the final month of last season.