Post Match Thoughts From A Foster’s Swigging Morrell

After Wrexham’s historic 4-1 penalty shoot out victory over Grimsby Town in the FA Trophy final on Sunday, player-manager Andy Morrell was in euphoric mood as he faced reporters in the bowels of Wembley stadium.

With a hint of understatement Morrell acknowledged the triumph felt ‘decent’, as he sipped on a can of Foster’s in front of a Carlsberg advertising board.

“I don’t think it’s all sunk in yet, but what a feeling,” exclaimed a delighted Morrell, as he basked in his side’s glory.

“Penalties isn’t a great way to win or lose I suppose, but you still have to win the game at the end of the day. I thought we were the better team throughout. I think they had one shot and scored, and it was back to the walls. But you know my lot, when their backs are to the wall they come out fighting and I haven’t got a bad word to say about any of them. They’re brilliant to work with.”

Morrell admitted that the tension of the penalty shootout proved too much for him at times, “I was sort of half in, half out. I was waving to my kids, and they bring it back back down to earth. I saw all of ours, I couldn’t watch theirs.

He was full of praise for Wrexham’s goalkeeper Chris Maxwell, featuring by virtue of Joslain Mayebi’s season-ending achilles injury which led to the Welshman’s loan return from the Racecourse.

“Maxi’s a good, dilligent ‘keeper. He does his work, last night he was trying to find out the penalty takers, work out which way they go. I backed him, I thought he we’d have half a chance but the way their ‘keeper was playing I thought it might be one of those days. But thankfully the trophy’s in our changing room.”

Victory at Wembley, little under two years since the fiscal difficulties that engulfed the club threatened to sink it into extinction, provides redemption for Wrexham supporters who saved their clubs. The troubles have been well documented, and Morrell is no stranger to them.

“The highs and lows this club have gone through is ridiculous. I’ve said it before, I don’t think we’ll ever repay them for what they did to the club, but maybe that’s just something a little bit back. I’m sure a few of them will be having some beers tonight, celebrating with us.”

Morrell refused to be drawn on whether he believes the FA could have done more to save Wrexham as they recovered from administration in 2005, only to be hit with further financial and ownership difficulties. Instead, he credited the fans.

“I think the fans have stood up and been counted. The club is now in the right people’s hands, so thankfully it’s all worked out for the best after a lot of hard work from a lot of people. I think you can see what it means to them all, 20,000 of them coming down, digging themselves out of snow, going round a closed motorway – it wasn’t easy but I don’t think they’d have missed this for the world. We won’t repay them but maybe it’s a little slice back for them.”

As the season enters its final strait and with the distraction of Wembley now banished into an after-thought, Morrell is purely focused on the club’s ultimate aim – promotion back to the Football League and a lucrative double.

“It might be a jab in the arm, help us out a little bit. We’ve got eight more cup finals coming up now. The lads were tired to say the least at the end. I think Keatsy played better when he had cramp in both legs. They dig in for each other, they work hard and I thought we were a threat pretty much all day.”

“It’s great to have a trophy and great to have something to cheer about, but like I’ve said before promotion’s the big one. Eight more cup finals and we’ll try and get another one.”

Wrexham were immaculate in the penalty shoot-out with Adrian Cieslewicz, Danny Wright, Chris Westwood and Johnny Hunt finding the back of the net, but Andy Morrell admitted that the arctic conditions had prevented the squad from practicing.

“We meant to practice them yesterday but it was so cold training that we just went in and forgot about it. Maybe that’s the future right there – don’t practice them.”

Penalties were required to separate the two sides following extra-time heroics from James McKeown which kept the Mariners in the game, “He was superb today,” acknowledged Morrell.

“I knew he was a good ‘keeper, but I didn’t know he was that good. He made an unbelievable save from Cis, and Danny Wright right at the end. I thought it was going to be one of those days, but thankfully it wasn’t.”

As the first trophy of Morrell’s managerial career, the 38-year old ‘absolutely’ believes this ranks alongside anything he achieved as a player.

“As a player you look after yourself and get on with it, games and trophies like this don’t come along on your CV that often. But as a manager as well, you’ve got to look after all of them not just yourself. I’ve got a great crew, a great bunch and they all deserve a bit of this because they’ve worked their socks off for the whole duration I’ve been in charge.”

Morrell’s selection of veritable footballing veterans – himself, the 36-year old Brett Ormerod, 34 year-old Dean Keates, 36-year old Chris Westwood and the 33-year old Stephen Wright – attracted significant discussion.

“The idea was not just to stay in the game, but I thought Cis and Rob’s fresh legs would be key for us as the game wore on and if it went into extra time. I didn’t want them to peter out midway through the second half, so there was a bit of method in the team-selection. But also, having experienced heads in there calms and settles you all down a little bit. It was a bit fraught for the first 10-15 minutes but, like I say, I thought we were the better team overall and deserved to win the game.”

Morrell’s withdrawal of himself saw the arrival of Adrian Cieslewicz to the fray, and the Pole injected his charisma and energy into the game as Wrexham dominated the closing stages and extra-time.

“It was a really tough decision to put him on the bench,” admitted Morrell, “I wanted to start him really, but I just thought big Wembley pitch, late on in the game for the last half-an-hour or so he might do the trick. It was our idea to get him on as soon as we could in the second half, great tactical move for me!”

“I got my second wind, probably 45 minutes too late. They just dig in, they’re fit lads and true professionals. That’s why we bring the older ones in, because they look after themselves. I thought Westwood was magnificent, he’s 35 and he was flying at the end.”

Morrell also praised the bravery of Irishman Kevin Thornton, who has become a mainstay in the side in recent weeks, capping it off by converting the equalising penalty in the final 10 minutes.

“I didn’t think he was as good as he has been for us in the past few games, but still to step up for a penalty with 10 minutes to go takes a bit of bravery. He’s got that in his locker, he’s happy to have the ball anywhere on the pitch at anytime. I’m made up for him to be involved, we’ve worked tirelessly with him this year and he’s certainly paid us back.”

Johnny Hunt’s winning penalty, and foraging contributions down the left-hand side, belied the concerns that Wrexham would miss Neil Ashton, who was forced to miss out through an ankle injury sustained at Lincoln earlier this month.

“I think if he was honest with himself, he probably wasn’t that close to playing. If he hadn’t have played at Wembley before it would have been a harder decision, but he’s played before and so has been very honest and professional with it. He decided the other day, he tried his ankle and had a go but held his hands up, which is great, because I had a ready-made replacement in Johnny Hunt. If he had played he would have needed an injection, and we could have been missing him for Hyde and the eight bigger games than this coming up.”