By RICHARD WILLIAMS
27 December 2005
DENIS
SMITH today admitted that his gamble had paid off.
The Wrexham boss saw his side overcome Rochdale 2-1 at The Racecourse yesterday
- a result that moved the Reds' into sixth position in the League Two table.
After a below par first half performance, in which Wrexham had managed to get
back on level terms following a controversial penalty converted by Matty
Crowell, Smith decided to make an interval change.
Dean Bennett replaced on-loan striker Robbie Foy, allowing Darren Ferguson and
Mark Jones to play in more attacking roles, and it was the Reds' skipper who got
the winner in a much improved second half showing.
Smith said the decision to make the change was a gamble, leaving him short of
strike options on the ' bench, but he was delighted with the outcome.
"People talk about a game of two halves and you won't get one more than that.
First half, I thought we were extremely poor, Rochdale were far better and we
were fortunate to go in level," Smith said today.
"But in the second half, I took a gamble because I changed the system and it
worked. We gave them problems in the second half, were on top and Darren came up
with the goal.
"With taking Robbie Foy off at half-time, it left me a bit short if anything
else had gone wrong. That was plan B, and plan C involves Robbie so I could have
been struggling so I am pleased that it worked.
"The system we changed to gets Darren and Mark further forward. One of those got
the goal and Mark gave them all sorts of problems.
"It is still in its development stage. We have had a couple of sessions on the
training ground but I was not expecting to bring it out quite so early. But it
proved that it could work."
Dennis Lawrence was controversially adjudged to have been pushed in the area as
Wrexham were given the opportunity to equalise from the penalty spot. A chance
which Crowell duly converted.
And Smith, agreeing the penalty could have been harsh, said it was satisfying to
be on the right side of a crucial decision: "It was not one of our more
convincing wins but we have been very unfortunate in our last two away games
where I thought we deserved to win but decisions went against us — decisions
possibly went for us yesterday," said Smith.
"From where I was I would not have been happy. But I have been unhappy in other
games with decisions and the video has proved me right.
"It got us back into the game. Apart from the first five minutes we were never
at it first half, their front three gave us all sorts of problems. But we
changed it and I feel we controlled most of the second half."
Crowell, in the absence of striker Lee McEvilly, has taken over the role of
penalty taker and he has now converted from the spot in the last two matches.
And Smith added: "I thought Matty had an extremely good second half and he stuck
his penalty away well. Lee McEvilly will be going mad. That would have put Lee
on nine goals - if he could have finished them!"
Wrexham now face rivals Chester City in a noon row,, and City's defeat at
Cheltenham meant Wrexham have now gone 'above their rivals for the first time
this season, but Smith is just focused on the Reds being in the promotion frame
in May.
"Is that the first time we have gone above Chester this season? Chester have had
a great season according to the papers and we have had a bad season. But we have
got a long way to go, added Smith.
"The timing is great as long as we are still there after tomorrow, and still
there at the end of the sear son. If we above the majority at the end of the
season I am not bothered, as long as we get there."
All set for the big derby battle
KEITH
CURLE is looking forward to the magic of a Chester-Wrexham derby tomorrow,
writes DENNIS WALL
The Blues boss is keen to put the bad taste of yesterday's 1-0 defeat at
Cheltenham behind him and focus on tomorrow's 12 noon shoot-out at the Saunders
Honda Stadium.
Curie said: "It's a massive game for everyone concerned tomorrow with bragging
rights up for grabs.
"I've been lucky enough to have been involved in derby matches, but I see
tomorrow's game as big as the Manchester derby.
"I think the form book goes out of the window for tomorrow's game - it's all
about Chester against Wrexham.
"The derby match was mentioned after our defeat at Cheltenham - we're going to
go out against Wrexham with our heads held high. We know we made a few wrong
decisions, but now we're going to learn from them.
"The Wrexham match provides us with a great opportunity to bounce back in front
of a full house.
"I don't think it matters if the game is played at 7 or 9pm - Chester fans would
still turn up in big numbers."
"The Chester-Wrexham match means a huge amount to everyone at Chester City
Football Club - it is a big game.
"I'm relishing the game because it will be first time I will see a full house at
Chester and I want to be part of it."