Wrexham Evening Leader

Neil out to end injury nightmare

By RICHARD WILLIAMS

18 December 2006

Neil Roberts limps off against SwindonWREXHAM captain Neil Roberts today headed for Lilleshall in an attempt to solve his injury nightmare.

Roberts suffered a recurrence of an ankle problem following the 4-0 defeat at Boston nine days ago in which the striker made a 30 minute comeback appearance as a substitute.

Having originally suffered the injury against Swindon on September 9, Roberts saw another return to action after a month out cut short, and he had an operation on the ankle in October.

Denis Smith hopes a trip to Lilleshall will solve the problem for Roberts, but the Reds’ boss has other injury worries to contend with: “Neil is off to Lilleshall today for a few days to see if they can do anything with him,” said Smith.

“Juan Ugarte has got a hamstring problem and we will have to see how he is, and as you can see Lee McEvilly is nowhere near fit so we have got a lot of work to do with him.

“I think Mark Jones will be having an operation this week but I am not a specialist – it is up to him to decide.”

Jones, who injured his knee in the warm-up last weekend at Boston, missed Saturday’s 1-1 draw against leaders Walsall at The Racecourse, and Smith believed his side showed Walsall too much respect in the first half as Wrexham trailed to a goal from ex-Reds’ striker Hector Sam.

But Smith was delighted with Wrexham’s response in the second period, with a stunning Chris Llewellyn goal earning a point.

“I thought that with the performance in the second half we perhaps should have edged it. First half I thought we showed them too much respect, although Chris Llewellyn missed a great chance to equalise,” said Smith.

“I had a few words to say at the break and second half, we upped the tempo, got in their faces and got about them. Chris missed another good chance but the one he scored was worth waiting for.

“Chris could have finished up with a hat-trick and I would have been extremely happy with him. I am reasonably happy with Chris but I would have been happier if he had got the hat-trick.

“We will take it on from here but again, it is not a win. I think we did enough in the second half to shade it.”

In the absence of injured trio Roberts, Ugarte and Kevin Smith, and McEvilly, who made a second half substitute appearance, Marc Williams made his second start of the season in attack alongside Llewellyn.

Smith was delighted with Williams’ performance as well as that of his two centre-backs, Shaun Pejic and Mike Williams, in the absence of suspended Steve Evans.

“The team I sent out was out there to win. We need to be winning. People say Walsall are top of the league and we are struggling, but I think we are capable of taking on anybody in this league if I can get a squad out,” added Smith.

“And the ones that were playing on Saturday have got to prove that they are good enough to be at the club, and to be pushing for the first team.

“People like Marc Williams haven’t done themselves any harm. I thought Marc had a super game. The kid has got ability.

“Marc’s goalscoring is not the best, he is a join-up player and I thought his workrate was excellent. He gave Walsall problems in the air as well which surprised them, so I was delighted with his performance.

“And the two centre-backs, considering what they had to put up with, handled it very well.”