To describe this as Wrexham using their Get Out Of Jail Free Card would be an understatement! The final score might well have been 3-1, and the closing five minutes something of a stroll, but that hardly tells the story of a game which saw Workington impress enormously.
On the other hand, one might argue that Dean Saunders could have provided you with a script of this game beforehand; once more superior fitness allowed his team to drive through part-time opposition in the closing fifteen minutes, a fact which was augmented by the introduction of Jeff Louis and Marc Williams from the bench as their fresh legs and presence suddenly posed new questions to a Workington rearguard who had been outstanding but were beginning to tire.
It was Williams who was to have the decisive influence on the game. When a horrible error by Gavin Ward handed Workington the lead with sixteen minutes left, a goal which reflected the run of play in the second half, it looked to be all up for Saunders' men, but in Williams he has a wonderful lieutenant, and in winning a penalty for the equaliser then scoring two himself he turned the game on its head.
The first half saw a half-strength Wrexham side looking good. With Patrick Suffo dropping off well from the front and the neat midfield linking well, some lovely football was played as Nathan Fairhurst in particular dominated the middle of the pitch, The visitors should have gone ahead as early as the third minute when an accurate cross from the right by Ryan Flynn picked out Jon Brown, unmarked six yards out, but he hit a feeble shot straight at keeper Adam Collin.
There was another close shave when Silvio Spann's corner was headed towards gaol by Steve Evans, but Hopper headed it off the line at the far post.
However, Wrexham's defence, with Spann in at right back and Evans given another chance in the centre, looked alarmingly porous. While Neil Taylor and Mike Williams stood firm, the former duo were shaky and straightforward balls into the box began to turn into drams as Workington mustered their first real spell of pressure around the half hour.
A pullback from the left by Arnison found Hopper and his cross-shot was marginally beyond the reach of the lunging McLuckie at the far post, then a long, straight free kick by Vipond was inexplicably missed by Evans and Ward did well to rush out to meet Jonny Wright, who though clear on goal was hurried into poking the ball past the advancing keeper and it dribbled narrowly wide of the left post.
Moments later the centre back Kyle May took advantage of an error by Suffo to maraud forwards and lash in a powerful twenty-five yard drive which Ward tipped over, and when an error by Spann left McLuckie clear on goal Wrexham were indebted to their keeper again as Ward acrobatically parried a powerful shot.
However, Wrexham regained their equilibrium as the half ended and were remarkably unlucky not to score just before the break. Evans hit a terrific diagonal ball to Nathan Woolfe on the left and his cross caused all sort of problems, a huge scramble ensuing during which both Suffo and Brown had close range shots cleared off the line and debutant Christian Gyan launched a spectacular scissors kick from fifteen yards which just cleared the bar.
There was a strong sense at half time that, if Wrexham could impose their quality in possession and cut out the sloppiness in the back they'd be able to take control of the game, but that wasn't how the second half turned out at all. Workington had pressed terrifically well in the first half, and continued to harry Wrexham to great effect, smothering them in the middle of the pitch and getting a total grip on the game. Anthony Wright ought to have tested Ward when some hesitant defending allowed him to nip in on the edge of the box, and when Jonny Wright pinged a header from a free kick back into the goalmouth May's powerful header just cleared the bar.
When the breakthrough came it was in a most frustrating manner. Ward grabbed the ball in the box and looked to release Taylor with a quick throw, but got it all wrong, bowling it to Arnison on the right edge of the box. The striker pulled in a cross and the keeper looked to make amends with a good point blank range save from McLuckie, but the rebound fell to Jonny Wright seven yards out, and he could hardly miss.
Wrexham's response was almost immediate. A ball was played up to Marc Williams on the edge of the area, surrounded by defenders, and did tremendously well to wriggle between them and make his way into the box where Gary Rowntree tripped him up. After the penalty farce of last Tuesday there was some confusion as to who would take it, as Patrick Suffo was off the pitch, but Nathan Fairhurst, a regular penalty taker for Preston Reserves, stepped up and coolly set the keeper the wrong way.
There was more to come for poor Workington. More typical chasing by Marc Williams allowed Sam Williamson to drive in a dangerous cross which Andrews just managed to squeeze behind for a corner and, with the user taker Spann, whose delivery had failed to threaten, substituted, Brown came across and whipped a good far post ball onto the head of Marc Williams, his downward effort evading a defender on the post as it looped over his head.
By now the home defence which had looked so robust was bedraggled as Wrexham found a burst of energy. Suddenly Brown was tearing at pace down the right and doing terrible damage, while Louis' presence up front was making the ball stick and Marc Williams was at his energetic best. The left back Rowntree was substituted in an attempt to put fresh legs on to handle Brown, but it was to no avail as he burst down the flank once more and pulled a perfect ball in for Marc Williams to ram home from six yards out.
The tie was suddenly dead, and could have taken on an even crueller hue if Flynn had topped a good break by clipping a more accurate ball into the middle, the unmarked Williams unable to stretch high enough to head into an empty net and claim a second hat trick of the season. That would have been unfair on Workington, and wouldn't alter the most important point to come from the game; Wrexham are a step closer to a first appearance at Wembley!
