AFC Telford United 0
Wrexham 0
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Match Report

Background

Wrexham travelled the short distance to Telford for their first experience of playing away from home in the Covid-19 era. With the Reds squad having to utilise both the away dressing room and the referee’s room in the pre-match build-up to aid social distancing, the players emerged to find a superb new £100,000 playing surface installed at the Buck’s Head. Following Saturday’s 3 x 40 minute periods against Salford, manager Dean Keates opted to go with a strong starting line-up which included new signing Fiacre Kelleher. His Telford counterpart Gavin Cowan adopted a similar approach having fielding several trialists in their 2-2 draw at Stafford Rangers three days earlier, ex-Wrexham striker Jason Oswell leading the Bucks’ line.


Report

The opening exchanges were fairly even with Jordan Ponticelli heading narrowly wide from a Devonte Redmond cross whilst Rob Lainton had to make a smart save from James Hardy on the quarter-hour mark. Oswell had a header deflected behind for a corner before an injury to former-Coventry striker Ponticelli saw Jake Bickerstaff enter the fray on 35 minutes. The teenage forward came close to opening the scoring five minutes later when a fine right-wing cross from Reece Hall-Johnson caused confusion in the home goalmouth, the 19-year-old denied by determined defending from Lee Vaughan after Paul Rutherford had seen his initial effort well saved by Telford keeper Russ Griffiths.

With no substitutions on either side at the interval, Telford should have taken the lead on 51 minutes but Brendon Daniels could only lash his half-volley into the empty terraces behind Lainton’s goal. Oswell again went close before Aaron Williams fired narrowly wide from 25-yards out. As both managers started to introduce several players from the bench, the game became somewhat disjointed before Wrexham gradually gained the upper hand as they went in search of a late winner. The electrifying pace of Anthony Jeffrey saw him break clear on the left but his centre narrowly eluded Bickerstaff and Jordan Davies. Elliott Durrell then sent a stinging shot whistling past Griffiths’ upright but, much to the latter’s relief, it flew the wrong side of the post and the game ended goalless.


Quotes

"We got behind Telford a few times, especially first half, crosses were either a little bit too high or under-hit so we need to make sure we start nailing these things down over the next two weeks."
Dean Keates (Wrexham AFC Manager)


Post Match

Wrexham confirmed the signing of James Horsfield on a one-year contract. The former Scunthorpe United loanee was the only one of the three trialists from the Salford game to feature at Telford.