Just back

Quoted from MeanwoodMariner

LJL's penalty, like his previous 2, was absolutely perfect. I wish he could show that level of composure more often in open play.

I started thinking about this earlier. I know he had the one against Cambridge saved last year but he's been confident and composed slotting them in otherwise.

Composure when a chance presents itself is something that I think you can't really coach into an adult pro player. You either have it by then or you don't.

When coaching finishing, you'd go through what they call the ABC's - adjustments, basic and clever finishes. Taking a penalty is as basic as they come (straight forward run up to a dead ball and shooting unopposed), but what I think LJL struggles with is when he has to make an adjustment to get his shot away. A cross comes in and he has to react, or its slightly behind him or stuck under his feet etc. If the ball isn't set perfectly for him to shoot he doesn't get a good strike on it as he struggles to make slight adjustments.

Quoted from Chrisblor

...well on the train home (which is full of Welsh people moaning about the ref). It was an excellent defensive performance but we're still very poor going forward. There was little creativity in midfield today (none what-so-ever after Neilson went off) and their keeper barely had a save to make all match. Referee was good today, Wrexham's complaints are sour grapes - he got every decision spot on.

The back 4 were all excellent - with Magnay and Toto both rock solid. Disley contributed little after coming on for the injured Clay and Mackreth was very poor. His crossing was terrible all day and he gave the ball away countless times. I honestly think given his current form, Joe Colbeck offered the team more. Lenny took his penalty very well but was isolated up front and provided little threat from open play. In the first half he made a nuisance of himself and chased down their defenders. Unfortunately in the second half he stopped harassing the Wrexham players which let them back into the game a bit until their red card. Connor Jennings looked rubbish, very glad we didn't sign him. Town fans were excellent all match.

I don't mean to sound too negative because it was a very good result against tough opposition. Our work rate made them look very poor in the first half, but in the second their manager made changes and put us on the back foot a bit. We didn't really react and got a bit lucky when their player stamped on Disley and got himself sent off as that released the pressure on us. Hurst really needs to get us scoring more in order to capitalise on our solid defence.

Here's a video of the goal and subsequent celebrations -
https://vine.co/v/OApXp3bTa2T

I saw things differently.

Back four very solid,

Midfield dominated there's IMO. Nielson was excellent first half, set up Mackreth which he should have done better with and then a great reverse pass to play in the rampaging Aswad who was clever to win the penalty. I heard the interview with their right back after the game and he said he didn't challenge Thomas but he got in front of him and then 'slammed on the breaks" meaning he clattered into him. Definitely penalty put away very well.

We were much the better team in the first half and they couldn't handle us. They were poor in midfield and Dean Keates who has been a fantastic player, was dominated particularly by Disley who I thought did much better than in previous games this season. he was always available kept it simple, won his headers and tackled well. Brown was everywhere.

Parslow did the defensive part of his role very well, he shielded the back four and allowed the full backs  to get forward, he wasn't great on the ball but I didn't expect him to be. That role, if played well really gives he team a platform.

Talking to Wrexham fans after the game they all felt Mackreth was excellent and that Paul Hurst had done a great job on them tactically!!! Their outlet and best player is evidently Ashton at left back but he couldn't get involved today because Mackreth pushed him back constantly. They also felt LJL was 'immense' and they would have loved to have had him on their side.

Toto has taken some stick on here but he was very good today as was Brown but I agree with others in that Magnay is a fantastic signing. superb again!

I wasn't impressed with Wrexham. Moult was a threat but was working off scraps. His red card was a result of frustration but it was a clear sending off ( Howard Webb was there today and he felt the referee was excellent).

A well deserved 3 points, a view shared by many Wrexham supporters,( we stayed behind afterwards for a chat and let the crowd die down)

Big downside is the injury to Clay and the suspensions next Saturday for both Pearson and Brown!

Quoted from SlouchyMetal

welsh police tweeted earlier one of our guys got kicked out for lobbing a flare.

The lad that got kicked out didn't throw the flare so he was allowed back in

"Big downside is the injury to Clay and the suspensions next Saturday for both Pearson and Brown!"


Brown- that one snook up on us, he will be more of a miss than Pearson, we've got plenty of cover in defence

A deserved win. Brilliant defensive performance with Parslow having a very good game in front of the back four. Today showed what an important player Aswad is for Town. Having him back gave us a decent option going forward but also allowed the superb Magnay to revert to his normal right back position. Wrexham simply didn't have the personnel to break us down.
First half Town pressed higher up the field. After the goal they sat back a bit which left Lenny a bit exposed. On the subject of "The Shop" his penalty was great. His all action running was great but he had one of those games where seemingly every ball played to him bounced off which was more than a tad frustrating.
I too thought Disley did all that was required of him when he came on. He covered a lot of ground and made some very good challenges.
I keep going on about him but I really cannot see what MacReth brings to the party. His crossing is wayward and he has none of the eye for goal that Colbeck showed during his time here.
Talking to two Wrexham fans on the train back to Chester they thought we were the best team they'd played this season. .  
  

Quoted from MrsMariner

"Big downside is the injury to Clay and the suspensions next Saturday for both Pearson and Brown!"


Brown- that one snook up on us, he will be more of a miss than Pearson, we've got plenty of cover in defence

If you look at the FA website only Pearson is on 4 yellows

http://www.thefa.com/football-rules-governance/suspensions

Just back myself. I haven't made a post on match threads for a while as I've only seen the Brizzle game on TV so this was my first outing.

Overall, I though it was a solid performance and we were worthy of the points. Magnay was my man of the match, he was tireless in defence and contributed to what we did going forward. I though the way we pressed them right from the off was very impressive and certainly resulted us in have the best of possession in the first half.

The whole back 5 (McKeown included there) were solid bar the aforementioned's moment of madness in the second half. I was impressed with Toto and Aswad gave a great shift on the left getting up and down. He needs to play to the whistle though.

I though chances for both sides very almost non-existent but when we did get the ball down and pass it we got some nice moves going which on another day might have seen more clear cut chances come our way so I am not concerned by that.

I met a bloke who had flown in from Denmark to watch us on the way out which I thought was pretty impressive. Well done to Wrecsam, as a town, and the wider area for turning up to support their club for a day like today. Just a shame they didn't print enough programmes.

Finally, a message to the 'Teenage Cas(ual) Club': If you must insist on bringing flares/smoke bombs to 'enhance' the atmosphere be sensible with them. Let them off around you mates and not in the faces of little kids as you did when you all piled down the front of the stand and don't aim them at people. The second one landed very close to to Wrexham stewards. You should remember most people stewarding at this level are doing it because they are football fans too - not for the money. I hope it doesn't result any fines for the club.

Just got back from a weekend away (not in Wales, alas) and catching up with the weekend's events. Good to see the result come in and these ground-out 1-0 victories are sort of what I was expecting this season. Pleasing to see the defence coming together well.

Unfortunately, as has been noted, we've just not been able to achieve the same thing against most of the 'weaker' teams at home which you would think would be bankers.

No Plan B at the moment and I think it will take either the return of Pittman/Arnold to the team or the signing of a new attacker or two before we have one (or, less likely, a good goalscoring run from LJL/Hannah/Neilson).

Don't think I'll be able to make the game on Tuesday but I hope the team (whoever plays), keeps the good defensive run going.

I thought we played very well first half, closing them down quickly, similar to the game at Gateshead and our midfield got forward to support LJL who although not his biggest fan I thought he played really well in the first half.

Brown had a better game for me and Nielson was very good, even the Wrexham fans around me applauded some of his mazy runs.

The second half not sure if it was us sitting back or Wrexham pushing forward but we hardly made any impression with LJL looking very isolated.

To be honest without the penalty neither side really looked much like scoring and I could not understand why Hurst took off Nielson who along with Thomas looked like the only ones who would create or open up their defence.

Looking at the Wrexham forum most thought they were very poor and I would have to agree in fact both sides will have to improve if they want to get out of this league.

Very disappointed with Mackreth again, saw lots of the ball but no end product.

Also disappointed with Pearson who several times during the game had a rant at Thomas, might have been deserved but he could have done it much better without pointing fingers all over the place.