How quickly things can change in football! Just three days ago Wrexham were basking in the glory of a fine away win over the league leaders, who were made to look rather inept. However, at the final whistle today Salisbury City had re-established themselves at the top of the pile and Wrexham's optimism had totally disappeared after a grim performance at home to Burton.
It wasn't just the nature of the performance which rankled with the impressive midweek crowd though; the dreadful goal which gifted Burton victory was bad enough, but it seemed to completely knock the stuffing out of Brian Little's side, who then failed to make an impression on their cynical opponents.
And yet it all started out so well! Wrexham poured forwards on a rain-sodden pitch and Burton, not helped by the early loss of left back Aaron Webster, found themselves clinging on desperately as the pressure increased. They were remarkably fortunate not to go behind when the lively Simon Brown lashed in a fine twenty-five yard drive which hit the bottom of the bar, dropped down on the line and bounced away to safety.
But then came the calamity to change everything. Carl Tremarco underhit a backpass, but Gavin Ward still got to it first. However, as Shaun Harrad slid in from a great distance, Ward saw him coming and decided he had time to dribble round him. Wrong. Ward ran into the striker and was dispossessed, allowing Harrad to tap it into an empty net.
Wrexham quite simply failed to react to a catastrophe which played straight into Burton's hands. Albion gave the impression they had arrived hoping merely to keep a clean sheet; in fact they had been slow to get the ball back in play in the first fifteen minutes, so to hand them a lead was suicidal. From then on their spoiling tactics were given extra impetus, and Wrexham were incapable of wresting the
initiative back. Apart from time-wasting and touch line histrionics there was a succession of cynical fouls as players were upended once they threatened to get in a position where they could test the Albion defence, and unfortunately the particularly weak referee was incapable of taking action to stop them.
The home side were also frustrated by the referee when he failed to point to the spot after Simon Brown claimed he had been tugged to the ground by Darren Stride, while at the other end another uncharacteristic Tremarco error allowed Harrad to run onto a through ball but he pulled his shot wide from the edge of the box.
Substitutions:
Wrexham
C Smith for Mackin 55
Aiston for Baynes 55
Proctor for Louis 77
(UNUSED SUBS: A Williams, G Evans)
Burton
Stride for Webster 11
Newby for Banim 71
Goodfellow for Gilroy 90
(UNUSED SUBS: Deeney, Holmes)
Yellow Cards:
Wrexham
Smith
Burton
- (!)
Red Cards:
-
That effort, just after thirty minutes of the game, was to prove to be Burton's last effort on goal, which tells a story in itself. However, Wrexham would lack the creativity required to break down their cussed resistance. Indeed, the only time they came close to an equaliser in the remainder of the first half was when a Wes Baynes corner fizzed across the face of goal, evaded the punch of Kevin Poole, and went wide of the far post.
The second half followed a similar pattern. Levi Mackin, suffering a miserable time in midfield, was replaced by Christian Smith, who if anything looked worse, while Baynes, who had been the pick of an uncreative midfield, was substituted by Sam Aiston, who at least was willing to run at the Burton defence.
The changes made little impact as Wrexham dominated possession but lacked quality. With twenty minutes left, however, they created a glorious opportunity; a Tom Kearney free kick was headed across goal by Smith to Brown, who contrived to head the ball over from six yards out. A genuine sitter.
The pressure grew, although Little surprisingly removed Jeff Louis, who like Brown had looked lively but lacked service, to allow Michael Proctor his first appearance of the season. Proctor, like Aiston, added some enthusiasm up front and when Steve Evans miscontrolled the ball six yards out he drove in a shot, but saw the shot blocked in the crowded goalmouth.
There was to be one more cruel moment for the becalmed Wrexham fans to endure. Deep into injury time a long ball into the box found Evans, now an emergency striker, and he powered in a fine header which hit Poole and was goalbound until a defender, running towards his own goal, inadvertantly deflected it onto his own bar from a yard out.
It was a real close shave-the third Burton had to survive-but the fact that Wrexham could not muster any other real threats in the entire match, rather than the negative approach and unpleasant cynicism of the visitors, was the reason why they emerged empty handed.
