Eccleshill United U19 0
Wrexham U19 2
National League U19 Alliance (Division H)

Match Report

Wrexham kept alive their title hopes with a fine second-half performance at a sun-drenched Mitton Group Stadium on the outskirts of Bradford. Having initially struggled to come to terms with the bumpy surface, goals from Reece Oliver and Jacob Milner made sure of the three points as Dan Nolan’s side showed far more drive and intensity after the interval.

With Dan Davies away on international duty, Rowan Davies filled in at left-back in the only change from the side that had salvaged a point with an injury-time leveller against leaders Altrincham the previous week.

Whilst Wrexham enjoyed plenty of possession in the opening exchanges, they struggled to create clear cut opportunities in front of goal. Jacob Milner almost managed to intercept a poor back pass inside the first three minutes but Eccleshill keeper Isaac Khan just managed to clear the danger.

Midway through the half centre-back Oli Hitchcox came close to breaking the deadlock but his header from Tom Jenkins’ corner rebounded to safety off the post. The duo combined together again on the stroke of half-time but this time Hitchcox’s header was cleared off the line.

The Young Reds showed far more drive after the break and it was another set piece which proved the home side’s undoing on 53 minutes. Jenkins drove in another corner from the right from which Reece Oliver sent a superb glancing header into the far corner of the net, the players’ celebrations underlining the importance of the goal.

The result was put beyond doubt 15 minutes later when Will Mountfield’s precision pass put Milner clean through on goal and the winger calmy slotted the ball past the advancing keeper to make it 2-0. Dan Jones almost added a third soon afterwards but his chip over the keeper was cleared out to Mountfield who fired narrowly over from the edge of the box.

Milner was a constant thorn in the home defence and he played a neat pass inside to Jones but the Eccleshill keeper just beat the forward to the ball, his clearance rebounding clear off the onrushing Jones.

The home side came close to reducing the arrears four minutes from time when a mistake from Hitchcox allowed Hassan Aden to find Phillip Nkomo but he fired over the bar when well placed. Louis Parr was forced into his first save of the game in injury time when he denied Nkomo after the striker had collected Gaudric Totap’s superb defence splitting free-kick.