Playoff Place Secured For Reds After Dour Win

Wrexham secured their place in this season’s Blue Square Bet Conference play-offs with a routine 1-0 victory over Cambridge United in a dour game at the Racecourse.

An early goal from surprise starter Jay Colbeck, one of seven changes made by player-manager Andy Morrell following the weekend defeat at Woking, was enough for Wrexham to begin preparations for the gruelling end-of-season knock-outs.

The evening had a distinct end-of-season feel to it after Wrexham had responded to their dramatic late victory over Mansfield last Thursday with a dispiriting performance on the way to a 2-0 reversal at Woking on Saturday.

A Racecourse crowd of 2,574 reverted to seasonal type and was noticeably down on last week’s bumper fixtures against Macclesfield and the Stags.

Fittingly the football itself reinforced the lack of interest from both afar and in the stands. Wrexham player-manager Andy Morrell named an experimental lineup with youngsters Leon Clowes and Jay Colbeck receiving their first league starts of the season.

It was the latter who profited most immediately, as he struck the opening goal inside the first five minutes. The move started when Kevin Thornton, receiving the ball in the centre-circle, sprayed it out wide to Declan Walker, who embarked on a surging run upfield before fizzing the ball into Nick Rushton on the edge of the Cambridge penalty area.

Though Rushton’s touch was heavy, Walker had followed his pass, and drilled the ball into a central position, away from Dele Adebola but straight into the path of the lurking Colbeck, whose low drilled effort was palmed straight back out by goalkeeper Jonathan Hedge. The 19-year old could make no mistake from the rebound.

The goal confirmed Wrexham’s assured serenity in the opening stages, as they controlled possession and contained the opposition. But it neither opened the Cambridge floodgates, nor provoked any aggressive response from the wounded animal. The U’s continually stood off Wrexham, allowing them ample time and space on the ball, something which a usually dormant Dele Adebola feeds upon.

The Dragons welcomed the away side’s passivity, but met it with their own lethargy. The game proceeded to flow at the tempo which Wrexham dictated, but one which was considerably lower than what was needed to exert their authority and superiority.

In reality nothing more than the bare minimum was neither needed nor desired, with energy levels needing to remain at a premium ahead of the play-off extravaganza.

Adrian Cieslewicz, afforded a third outing in four games, flattered to deceive throughout; the Pole wasn’t so much peripheral as utterly apathetic. For the rest of the starting eleven it was a case of going through the motions.

Colbeck and Clowes were given opportunities to impress, Rob Evans too enjoyed an enterprising 45 minutes, but against opposition that offered little in the way of ambition they are small comforts.

Cambridge manager Richard Money will no doubt feel shortchanged by his side’s listless display, whilst Andy Morrell will be encouraged by both the squad players that filled in, and the return of defensive duo Neil Ashton and Dave Artell from the sidelines.

With league runners-up in waiting Kidderminster Harriers bound for the Racecourse on Saturday evening, Wrexham have the unfortunate opportunity of securing Mansfield’s return to the Football League themselves.

For Morrell though it will be an opportunity to, again, shuffle his resources and breed further confidence and momentum as the grim spectre of play-off season looms.