Wrexham Reserves 2
Accrington Stanley Reserves 1
Central League (West Division)

Match Report

On a bitterly cold evening at Plaskynaston Lane Joey Jones’ side overcame a one goal interval deficit to score two second half goals and bounce back from the previous week’s defeat at Tranmere Rovers. A strong Wrexham side included Danny Williams (who played 45 minutes on his return to action after four months out), Richard Hope, Shaun Pejic, Silvio Spann and Eifion Williams.

Wrexham started the brighter of the two sides but despite getting into several promising positions in the opening exchanges never managed to pose any threat to Kenny Arthur’s goal. And this failure to make the most of the promising start was punished on 11 minutes when Stanley opened the scoring in somewhat bizarre fashion. Robbie Garrett’s under hit back pass put Michael Jones in trouble and the keeper’s hurried clearance landed straight at the feet of Robert Grant some 25 yards from goal. Despite having an open goal to aim at the striker elected instead to control the ball and beat a Dragons’ defender on the outside near the edge of the penalty area before unleashing a terrific left-foot shot that arrowed past Jones and emphatically into the right-hand corner of the net.

Despite this setback play continued to ebb mainly towards the Accrington goal but the Dragons never troubled Arthur in the visitors’ goal. The best chance of the half fell to Marc Williams in the 38th minute after Carvill had slipped the ball through but the striker tried to lift the ball over Arthur with his left foot when his right foot would have been the better option.

Eight minutes after the restart Hope twice couldn’t force Baynes’ cross over the line and within a minute Matty Done’s long throw caused problems in the Stanley defence and Carvill turned on the corner of the six-yard box but his left foot half volley cleared the bar. Garrett sliced a Marc Williams lay-off horribly wide on the hour mark and pulled another chance wide from 20 yards out three minutes later as Wrexham continued to knock on the Accrington door.

The pressure finally told on 67 minutes. Baynes attempted a short free kick but the ball ricocheted off a defender and back to him by the right-hand corner of the penalty area. Unperturbed, the wing back made a half yard of space and curled a superb left-foot shot beyond Arthur and into the top left-hand corner of the net.

Sensing victory the Dragons were quickly on the attack again and Arthur had to get down smartly to his left to smother Carvill’s 20-yard shot following a quick break down the left by Done. The goal that ultimately proved to be the winner arrived on 73 minutes after a strong run by Marc Williams down the left ended with a shot deflected behind for a corner. The flag kick was played short to Done whose 25-yard shot was turned into the net by Marc Williams from just inside the six-yard box.