steh08

Wow! Any fan of a side which had just beaten the favourites for the title 5-0 in the opening game of the season would be inclined towards a burst of over-optimism, but when Wrexham supporters see their fortunes change as dramatically as that, it's hard to suppress the ecstasy!

It was hard for fans to heed Brian Little's warning not to get carried away on a day when two years of misery seemed to melt away. All of a sudden Wrexham had a side that could not only compete with the division's elite, but even got the rub of the green, enjoying a flattering scoreline and a huge slice of luck for the crucial opening goal. One swallow doesn't make a summer, but this victory felt like a corner being turned.

Once the elation subsides it would be wise to exercise some caution though. That first goal was crucial, as up until that point, indeed until the third goal, Stevenage were in with a chance of getting something out of the game. Their neat passing play was impressive, but let down by their poor finishing, although Graham Westley's public commitment to playing the game the right way would prove costly at the other end. His back four and goalkeeper stubbornly struck to a policy of keeping their passes short even when it was evident the tactic was suicidal. Wrexham had clearly done their homework and pressured the defenders, forcing a catalogue of errors, yet still they continued to eschew the long clearance, with disasterous results. Wrexham haven't scored five in a home game since they put six past Newport County in 2003, and frankly

Shaun Whalley which earned a yellow card. Levi Mackin rolled it to Tom Kearney, whose flat free kick took a big deflection off the wall and trickled agonisingly past the floored Bayes and inside the post.

Borough struck back immediately, an extravagant thirty-yarder by Michael Bostwick drawing a spectacular parry from Gavin Ward, and the remainder of the half was a fascinating contest, with Borough enjoying more possession and making chances but Wrexham's direct approach looking more likely to yield a goal. Indeed, Darran Kempson should have made it 2-0 with five minutes of the half left when an accurate Kearney corner found him unmarked six yards out, but he put his header over the bar.

That miss sparked a sudden change in the nature of the game though, as Stevenage mounted a surge and put Wrexham under terrific pressure. A succession of good chances were squandered: Mitchell Cole ran clear and was halted by a superb tackle from Tremarco; a clever short free kick by Daryl McMahon set up Andy Drury but he dragged his fifteen yard shot badly wide; Drury then broke down the right, an expected flag for offside not forthcoming, and crossed for Eddie Anaclet who, stretching, couldn't head on target from six yards out; and in injury time a free header from a corner by Albrighton was tipped over.

Wrexham were on the ropes and relieved to hear the bell go for the end of the half, although Stevenage continued to threaten after the break. Again Cole's pace took him clear, but again he failed to take advantage of the opportunity, a poor first touch giving Kempson the chance to get back and make a block. Then Steve Morison, the poster boy of non-league football, squared to McMahon who shot well wide from fifteen yards when he ought to have done a lot better, before the referee stepped in to help Wrexham out!

There has been much speculation about the standard of officiating in the Conference over the Summer and sadly, if Mister Coote's performance was anything to go by, those erratic Football League officials might not look so bad by the end of the season! The best you could say about his decision making was it was consistent; if there was a wrong choice he always took it! Already he had ludicrously booked Kempson for kicking the ball away when the whistle had just gone and he clearly was making a clearance, then ignored an identical offence by Gary Mills even though the midfielder nearly took his head off with the ball! He excelled himself when Simon Spender, under pressure on the edge of the area, scooped a high backpass over Gavin Ward's head. The keeper had no option but to catch it yet remarkably Coote failed to blow for a free kick! Minutes later he would intervene in a more decisive manner. Morrison had been allowed to get away with a lot of rough stuff when the ball was in the air, but Coote's paience wore out when he swung an arm at Kempson after centre back had beaten him to a header and swiftly delivered a red card.

To be fair to Stevenage they swiftly shifted to a 4-3-2 and looked to maintain the pressure; they ought to have had a reward when Anaclet fed the pacy substitute Anthony Thomas down the left channel, but Nat Brown's strength forced him into a weak shot which Ward saved.

In the first half Wrexham's outstanding performers had been their back four and goalkeeper as they struggled to get a grip of midfield and left the wide men isolated, but since the break their creative players had begun to come into the game. Sam Aiston had begun to cause problems down the wing while Whalley was showing some of his flair. In one sublime example he turned Albrighton on the edge of the box and whipped a dipping shot which hit the bar, then he beat two men in the box before hitting a shot which Ronnie Henry managed to deflect wide. Borough's respite was temporary though; Kearney whipped the corner in to the edge of the six yard box where Jeff Louis did well to get his head round the ball and pound goalwards. Bayes, unsighted by Aiston standing on his toes, could only palm it inside the right post.

Stevenage continued to press on though, and they nearly pulled one back when Bostwick's cross was met by Lee Boylan seven yards out, his glancing header denied by an excellent save high to his right by Ward. The balance might have tilted further Borough's way when the erratic referee evened up the sides by showing Levi Mackin a second yellow card for a sliding tackle which was from behind but seemed to result in him taking the ball cleanly.

Ironically the red card signalled not a Stevenage fight back but the end of their hopes as within two minutes Wrexham had killed the game off with a third goal. Aiston picked up a loose ball in midfield and threaded a perfect through pass to Whalley, who coolly dinked it over the onrushing keeper. The goal marked the point at which the roof fell in on Borough; indeed a fight nearly broke out amongst their defenders in the aftermath as Albrighton's team mates had to restrain him from replying violently to Gary Mills' criticism!

From then on it was a procession as Wrexham pounded a demoralised side. A stumble by Henry left Louis through on goal but his thrashed effort was the antithesis of Whalley's cool finish and Bayes saved with his legs. Then Louis tested the keeper with a near post header from a Christian Smith corner, the keeper blocking the ball with his body despite not seeming to know too much about it.

Smith, on in the reshuffle following Mackin's dismissal, was to have his moment in the sun. A corner from Kearney, kindly spotted up by Les Evans to the delight of the fans, was sent invitingly to the edge of the six yard box and when the hapless Bayes failed to push his way through the crowd Smith was left with an open goal to head the ball into, becoming in the process the fourth debutant to hit the net!

A couple of minutes later a second substitute got a goal, Marc Williams getting his reward after he typically chased a lost cause as Bayes and a defender collided in dealing with a long ball forwards, leaving the young striker to tap it into an empty net. He might have got another in injury time too, as he beat the rashly onrushing Baes to Simon Spender's long ball to bravely meet it with his head, the ball looping just wide of the unguarded goal.

It was an incredible start to the season and the players quite rightly milked it for all it was worth. A 5-0 win over the championship favourites in front of a crowd of 5,000 might not be something to get carried away with, but it sent a potent message out to the rest of the Conference.