Wrexham U19 2
Marine U19 2
National League U19 Alliance (Division H)

Match Report

With several players away on reserve team duty, Wrexham’s opening National League U19 Alliance match at home to Marine saw coach Dan Nolan include seven first-year trainees in his starting eleven, with second-year goalkeeper Matthew Hess also enjoying a first league start between the posts. That collective level of inexperience cost the Young Reds dearly as they conceded two goals inside the first 40 minutes before a spirited second-half comeback earned them a deserved point from a 2-2 draw.

The visitors opened the scoring after just four minutes when a defence splitting pass allowed Marine striker Cole Connolly the opportunity to dink the ball over the advancing Hess. Towards the interval Wrexham gradually got a foothold in the game before Connolly doubled Marine’s lead on 39 minutes, Liam Paton’s pin-point centre allowing the striker to net from 12 yards out.

The second period saw the Young Reds dominate and it was no surprise when the impressive Caleb Hughes reduced the arrears five minutes into the half with a simple tap-in following good work by Callum Edwards. With the Marine rear-guard under constant pressure, Edwards himself levelled matters with six minutes remaining on the clock before seeing a late ‘winner’ ruled out for offside.

“We were very disappointing in that first twenty minutes,” reflected Nolan after the final whistle. “When we finally settled down, we played some good football and I really thought we deserved to win it by the end.”