Neil out to end injury nightmare
By RICHARD WILLIAMS
18 December 2006
WREXHAM
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.”
Wrexham
have been drawn away at Newport County in the FAW Premier Cup quarter-finals.
Cardiff City will travel to Carmarthen Town, and Swansea City are Port Talbot
Town. The New Saints will face Porthmadog.