Wrexham Reserves 1
Burnley Reserves 3
Central League (West Division)

Match Report

The Dragons were left still searching for a first Pontin’s League victory of the season after a very strong Burnley side maintained their 100% record on the Racecourse. The names on the visitors’ team sheet certainly raised a few eyebrows, with over 3,850 League appearances and around 360 League goals to their names. Add a total transfer fee of over £38 million, of which it cost Burnley approximately £1.5 million, and you can see just what Joey Jones’ side faced.

Despite the star-studded nature of the opposition, it was Wrexham that almost snatched a third minute lead when a Juan Ugarte shot on the turn was somehow scrambled away at the near post. Within two minutes though Burnley were ahead, Ade Akinbiyi (scorer of 128 League goals at the start of the campaign) stooping to score with a close range header from Jon Harley’s centre. Josh Johnson had a couple of half-chances to bring Wrexham level, while at the other end it took a good one-handed save from Michael Jones to deny Akinbiyi a second goal.

Wrexham began the second period in positive fashion and equalised in the 52nd minute. Johnson was fouled out on the left, Matty Crowell whipped in the free kick, and former Everton, West Ham, Sheffield United and Wigan defender David Unsworth sliced an attempted clearance into his own net. It was no more than the Dragons deserved, though it also seemed to stir the visitors into action once again. And they regained the lead on 70 minutes when John Spicer got to the by-line on the right and pulled the ball back to Wade Elliott whose raking right-foot drive fizzed past Jones and into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

A superb Mike Williams clearance denied Akinbiyi an almost certain goal after a miss-directed clearance by Wes Baynes but James O’Connor made sure of victory with Burnley’s third goal two minutes from time, the former Stoke City midfielder easily finding the net with a header ten yards out.

So given the strength of the Burnley side maybe a 3-1 defeat wasn’t the worst defeat in the world, but Joey Jones was still not happy with the performance of some players: “I have read a number of comments from players that they are near to being in the first team,” he said. “Well on tonight’s display they may want to reconsider their position – I don’t know who they are kidding most. Gareth Evans did very well, as did Marc Williams until he got injured. But there are others who need to do a great deal more.”