Wrexham: 2012 /2013 The Season Begins

Hello friends.Greetings from a snow covered and very chilly Toronto where we’ve been reminded that it’s winter!

Before I get into this months report here’s a quick look at the Wrexham squad to help you with the player names and their respective positions which I hope you find useful.

A good crowd of almost 8,000 showed up at The Racecourse Ground for our opening game of the season in League One against Swindon Town. We got a very quick reminder that we were playing at a higher standard when Swindon had the ball in the net within two minutes of the kick off. A second was added 20 minutes later with a header from midfield going clean over the top of our defence for the Swindon striker to smash home. Fofana managed to pull one back just before half time but the damage had been done. The back four’s morale was at an all-time low and we’d only been in the League 45 minutes! To make matters worse Smith and Rooney both had to be substituted but their replacements couldn’t help in fighting back and Swindon comfortably took all three points.

The following Tuesday we remained at home for the visit of Blackpool in the first round of the League Cup. As in the previous game the ball was in the back of the net early…but it was our net! We pulled back an equalizer as Chinedu Vine (ST) was left unmarked to slide the ball pass the keeper from a cross by Jimmy Keohane. By half time I again had to take some players off and by the time we reached 90 minutes with the score unchanged my team was exhuasted. Blackpool took full advantage and scored three times in quick succession but when they were reduced to ten men we fought back with goals by Mitrovic and Henderson. Fofana hit the bar from close range and Alex Smith’s penalty hit the post so in the end we were unlucky not to pull off a dramatic victory.

Our first away game of the season was a trip to Carrow Road to face Norwich City in what I imagined to be a difficult game. The game started much like the previous two but with Norwich failing to put the ball in the net to my relief. I changed my tactic slightly as in not to stand off more and suddenly we looked like the team from last season. Lee McArdle set piece cross resulted in the opening goal that was eventually forced over the line by Jarvis just before the half hour and early in the second half a quick break down the left flank ended in a cross by Fofana that Jarvis pressured the defence into an own goal. It was Jarvis’s sloppy passing though that allowed Norwich back into the game but we held firm and added a third from another set piece that Nicholas headed over the line for our first points of the season!

The final game of the month saw a return to home soil with Notts County as our opponents. We got off to a great start with Oliver Nicholas heading us in front after only 5 minutes. Alex Smith who missed the penalty against Blackpool redeemed himself from the spot after Fofana had created all kinds of trouble for the visiting defenders. We kept the pressure up and went into the interval with a comfortable 2-0 lead. County though clawed one back in similar style to our first goal but good link up play between Hammomd and Jarvis set up Fofana who restored the two goal lead. Jimmy Keohane who was having a great game on the right flank put in a telling ball into the six yard box which was enough to cause nervousness in the defence resulting on an own goal and our fourth of the afternoon. All in all a very pleasing performance.

League Table

Fixtures

So that’s it for this first report of what I hope to be a very exciting season. After a rough start we seem to have found our stride and can hopefully build upon that next month.

Thanks for reading.