John Fuller reports from Borough Park

Last updated at 12:22, Monday, 02 February 2009

FA Trophy third round: Workington Reds 1 Wrexham 3: Workington Reds’ dream of playing at Wembley Stadium was ended in cruel circumstances on Saturday.

Jonny Wright celebrates opening the scoring

The Borough Park club went down 3-1 against Wrexham in the third round of the FA Trophy in front of 1,029.

The result flattered their Welsh opponents and afterwards manager Darren Edmondson praised his team for the spirit in which they played the game.

He said: “I thought when we went one up that we would see the game out but when they got the equaliser you could see some of the players lose a bit of confidence.

“It was a sad dressing room to be in after the match but we need to learn from that experience and bounce back from it.”

There was much debate whether Wrexham boss Dean Saunders would turn up at Borough Park to take his place alongside Edmondson in the dugout. But the former Wales international did not disappoint.

Despite his dad dying on Thursday, Saunders travelled up with the team and barked orders from the touchline.

Before kick-off Anthony Wright, would was rated as 50-50 to play passed a fitness test. Wright had limped off during the 2-1 defeat to Gateshead earlier in the week with a thigh strain.

Defender Gari Rowntree also passed a fitness test. The left-back had been suffering with a virus but took his place in the starting line-up despite still being ill.

David Hewson missed the tie after he suffered ankle ligament damage during the Gateshead defeat and was replaced by Andy Langford at right-back.

With Hewson missing Edmondson named veteran midfielder Tony Hopper as his stand-in captain.

The game was played in a great manner by two teams going all-out to win the tie at the first attempt. Wrexham had more possession in the first-half but Reds had the better chances to take the lead.

Unfortunately for Edmondson’s men, their finishing let them down and they were unable to break through the shaky Wrexham defence.

With that said, it was Wrexham who almost struck first. A sweeping right to left move left Jon Brown free at the far post, but his scuffed shot was saved well by Reds keeper Adam Collin, who got down low to his right to deny the striker.

On 18 minutes Wrexham had another chance from a corner, but Shaun Vipond, standing on the goal-line, cleared a Steve Evans header to safety.

Winger Phil McLuckie had Workington’s first real chance but he was unable to latch onto a low cross from Tony Hopper and the ball went just past the far post.

On 31 minutes Reds had another chance to snatch the lead. Lee Andrews flighted free-kick from inside his own half alluded everyone leaving Jonny Wright a golden chance to find the net. However, keeper Gavin Ward raced off his line, closing down the space Wright had to aim at and his poked shot rolled agonising wide.

And then Kyle May almost found a way past Ward when we picked the ball up in midfield, chested it down and ran hard at the Wrexham defence. As they backed off, May unleashed a powerful strike from 25-yards that had Ward diving to his left to tip it over for a corner.

As the half went on Reds looked better and better. McLuckie had another chance to open the scoring when he nicked the ball off Silvio Spann, the ball bounced up nicely and his sweetly struck volley was palmed away by Ward.

As half-time approached Wrexham got back into the game and a crazy spell of pressure almost brought the break through.

Another goal-line clearance, this time from Andrews, stopped the Welsh side taking the lead, when he stopped Patrick Suffo scoring.

The ball fell to Nathan Woolfe, on loan from Bolton, and his cross found the former Ghana international Christian Gyan, but his shot went over.

Gyan, who won the UEFA Cup with Feyenoord in 2002, was making his debut for Dean Saunders’ men in the centre of midfield but his lack of match fitness was obvious.

Reds started the second-half the brightest and Anthony Wright should have given them the lead on 47 minutes. Vipond’s through ball found him unmarked on the left of the box, but his cute shot went wide.

On the hour mark Saunders brought on the deadly strike duo of Jefferson Louis and Marc Williams for Suffo and Woolfe.

But the pair could do nothing to stop Reds taking a deserved lead on 73 minutes.

A catastrophic error from Ward, whose throw to Neil Taylor was intercepted by Gareth Arnison. He raced into the box, crossed for McLuckie, who couldn’t direct it goalwards.

However, the loose ball stopped dead 10 yards out and the hitman Jonny Wright pounced. He had the entire goal to aim at and didn’t miss, slamming the ball home.

Unfortunately for the Reds, Saunders’ ‘get out of jail free’ card Marc Williams sprung into action and their lead was short-lived.

On 78 minutes Williams picked up the ball, jinked through three half-hearted challenged, before Rowntree brought him down in the box.

Referee Andy Halliday pointed to the spot and Nathan Fairhurst sent Collin the wrong way to score his first professional goal.

The turnaround was complete on 84 minutes when Williams nodded home from a corner. Standing unmarked in the middle of the goal mouth his downward header found the back of the net.

The scoring was complete two minutes later when Williams again found space in the box to tap home a Brown cross.

Just before the end Edmondson brought on Andy Hardman and Jack Dorney, who signed on-loan from Bury on Friday, for Rowntree and Anthony Wright.

After the match Edmondson added: “It’s a cruel game sometimes. I feel down at the minute because I feel for the lads. They didn’t deserve to lose by that much. The problem is we rely on the front two for goals when we need others to start chipping in. Phil McLuckie and Anthony Wright had chances to score today but didn’t unfortunately.

“We played well today, we played with confidence and showed ability but we need to do that week in and week out.

“We are now looking to the Farsley game next week and we will be positive for that.”

MATCH FACTS

Reds: Collin, Langford, Rowntree, May, Andrews, McLuckie, Vipond, Hopper (c), Jonny Wright, Arnison, Anthony Wright. Subs: Hardman, Robinson, Anane, Dorney, Lloyd

Star man: Phil McLuckie. The winger had a great game and on another day could have had a hat-trick.

Referee: Andy Halliday

Attendance: 1,029

First published at 11:29, Monday, 02 February 2009
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk