Stockport County Youth 0
Wrexham Youth 1
Football League Youth Alliance (North West Conference)

Match Report

Steve Cooper’s side cemented their place at the top of the table with a fifth win in six outings and maintained their unbeaten start to the season with a 1-0 at Stockport County. The young Dragons continued the trend they’ve shown so often already this season and once again started the game well, and opened the scoring on 20 minutes.

Paul Williams found Jamie Price, whose first time ball picked out George Stewart. The flying winger, who was outstanding in the first half and got the better of the left back every time, surged forward from halfway and after beating the full back again pulled the ball back from a position in line with the edge of the six-yard box and Mark Stewart, who had escaped from his marker to find some space, slotted the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.

“It was probably the best goal we’ve scored this season,” revealed Steve after the game. “It was very much with the run of play but still very timely and needed. The back four looked as steady as ever, and Chris Maxwell cleared things up behind them. So it was only a matter of time before we started creating chances.”

The second half again saw the Dragons start the brighter of the two sides and Lee Jones was unlucky with a well struck shot from near the penalty spot, following a corner kick, which was cleared off the line.
Wrexham continued to control the game and as County threw men forward in search of an equaliser they left space behind for the Dragons to exploit. One particularly good move saw Paul Williams pick out Mark Stewart who had a one-on-one with the keeper from the left-hand side but the keeper saved well to deny the striker his second goal of the game.

“The move deserved a goal,” Steve explained. “And it would have put the game to bed. In fact the only negative thing from the game is that we didn’t make it safe, although they didn’t really have any chances to equalise. It meant that we were forced to keep our concentration levels high to the very end. It was a very good win – and it was pleasing to keep another clean sheet.”