GOOD START IS VITAL SAYS DANNY
Wrexham Evening Leader

DANNY WILLIAMS is focused on Wrexham getting their League Two season off to a successful start.

Wrexham, who were beaten 2-1 at Hednesford at the weekend in the final pre-season friendly, open the new campaign at Darlington on Saturday (August 4).

And midfielder Williams said it is important that the Reds get off to a decent start in the opening weeks and begin their challenge for promotion.

"It has been a long pre-season and it will be good to get the league campaign underway. Hopefully we will get off to a good start and I am sure we will," said Williams today.

"We have got to believe we will get off to a good start, and believe we will be fighting for promotion.

"We are optimistic of getting to the play-offs. We have to be looking to get there, and anything above that is a bonus.

"Defeat at Hednesford was a set-back but you have to get over it and go next week.

"Everyone's fighting fit, we will have a good week training and hopefully everyone will be bang up for Saturday."

Williams admitted that Wrexham had under performed in Saturday's defeat at Unibond League Premier Division side Hednesford, with the Reds trailing 2-0 at the break before replying through a Levi Mackin goal in an improved second period.

And Williams said Wrexham have to get the defeat out of the system ahead of the trip to Darlington on Saturday.

"We did not start the game right and we were really poor first half, we knew that," said Williams.

"We were poor. Sometimes it just doesn't work out but we have got to adapt ourselves to play better. We know that.

"We never started off well and it is hard to dig yourselves out of a hole. We have got to do it from the start.

"It was surprising really because we have had a good pre-season. Sometimes you play bad and you have to hold your hands up.

"But it is better to get it out of the way now rather than go to Darlington and have one.

"We will be looking to improve everything on Saturday and I am sure the lads will do that."

Manager Brian Carey used 17 players in the match at Keys Park Road, while several other first-team players featured in another friendly against NEWI Cefn Druids which saw a young Wrexham side run out 2-0 winners.

And Williams is delighted with the strength in depth of the squad which he says will be able to deal with injuries.

"We have got some depth in the squad," added Williams. "It was not a big enough squad last season with the injuries we had, and that has been corrected.

"It is a good squad of players."

WREXHAM REALITY CHECK AT HEDNESFORD
Mark Currie - Daily Post

WREXHAM manager Brian Carey was scathing in his post-match assessment, although he knows better than most that pre-season results often have little bearing on the business side of things.

"We have a good group of players here but this is a kick in the backside for everyone and that sometimes happens, as I know for my own experience as a player," he said.

"I thought it was a great game in that it reminded us what we are all about because we had a very poor start and dug ourselves into a hole. Once you do that it's very hard to get yourselves out.

"We had a couple of players out injured but everyone in the squad has got to be up for it. There are no excuses, we didn't approach the game properly and that's not good enough.

"We created enough chances in the end to have got something from the game, but I was really disappointed with the way we started.

"It was very shoddy and there was a lack of urgency and tempo."

SECOND HALF FIGHTBACK PROVES TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE
Wrexham Evening leader

DEFEAT at Hednesford was not the best preparation for Wrexham going into the new League Two season.

Wrexham wrapped up their pre-season with a 2-1 defeat against the Unibond League Premier Division outfit at Keys Park Road.

A woeful first half performance saw Wrexham trail 2-0 at the break but a huge improvement in the second 45 minutes meant there was more action at the right end as plenty of chances were created.

As it was, although Wrexham dominated after the interval they only found the net once courtesy of substitute Levi Mackin, and they could not avert a surprise defeat.

What made it such a surprise is that Carey, who has seen Wrexham acquit themselves well during the summer friendlies, named a strong side for the match at Hednesford.

Although centre-backs Richard Hope and Steve Evans were missing, and striker Eifion Williams was only given a 30 minute run-out, Carey's line-up would expect to see off the challenge of the non-leaguers.

But the poor opening period, where they were outplayed by the hosts, proved to be Wrexham's undoing and they could not get back on level terms despite being on top in the second half.

But the Hednesford defeat is history now and the serious stuff starts at Darlington on Saturday.

Despite last season's brush with relegation, there is plenty of optimism that Wrexham can mount a challenge for promotion.

Carey has assembled a squad containing quality players that should be competing at the right end of the table, and hopes are high going into the new term.

In a rare first-half sight on goal at Hednesford, Michael Proctor put Matty Done through on goal in the 14th minute but goalkeeper Rene Gilmartin saved with an outstretched leg.

Ryan Valentine drove wide and Proctor was also denied by Gilmartin, but it was the hosts who were proving to be a threat in the other half of the pitch.

Alan Nagington headed Gilmartin's long kick into the path of Reece Styche who managed to loft the ball over oncoming Reds' keeper Anthony Williams, but also over the bar.

And Hednesford took the lead after 35 minutes.

A quickly taken Simon Forsdick throw-in found Styche who beat Gareth Evans and squeezed the ball past keeper Williams from a tight angle.

Wrexham were struggling to make an impact on the attack and Hednesford doubled their lead four minutes before the break.

A corner was only half cleared and Gordon Simms' drive deflected off Shaun Pejic, leaving Williams flat footed.

There was an immediate response from Wrexham after the interval as they began to press forward and start to create chances.

Done sent in a useful ball on 51 minutes and Proctor's shot on the turn was saved by Gilmartin, and the keeper then brilliantly tipped away skipper Neil Roberts' goalbound header.

Mark Jones fired wide, Simon Spender's header was heading for the net but Gilmartin made another impressive save, and Proctor just cleared the bar with a 25-yard free-kick.

Gilmartin also parried Marc Williams' first time shot from outside the area following Chris Llewellyn's flick-on, and Done embarked on a solo run from his own half which was only ended in the penalty area by a crucial last ditch challenge from Mark Briggs.

An unmarked Pejic failed to hit the target with a header with only Gilmartin to beat following Spender's cross, but Wrexham finally got a goal their efforts deserved after 80 minutes.

Mike Williams broke forward and laid the ball off to Mackin, and the midfielder unleashed a 20-yard drive that flew past Gilmartin.

A rare glimpse on goal in the second period for Hednesford saw keeper Michael Jones tip MacPherson's cross onto the post, but Danny Blair's close range strike was ruled out for offside.

Wrexham continued to put pressure on the hosts and Gilmartin, on loan from Walsall, made a double save from Marc Williams, while Conall Murtagh blasted over in the final minute.

Wrexham had given themselves too much to do after the below par first half but they can take plenty of heart from their display in the second period.

MATTY MAKES HIS MARK AS SUBS STRIKE FOR REDS
Wrexham Evening Leader

MATTY CROWELL started his first game in six months as an otherwise young Wrexham team proved to strong for NEWI Cefn Druids.

Crowell was joined by first team squad members Josh Johnson and Jamie Read, but it was substitutes Max Stuart and George Stewart who struck two second half goals to give Wrexham a 2-0 victory at Plaskynaston Lane.

Stuart opened the scoring in the 59th minute with a powerful right foot drive from 25 yards out, which curled over the head of Druid substitute 'keeper Chris Mullock.

Stewart then completed the scoring two minutes from full-time when he found himself with acres of space down the right, before cutting inside and firing past Mullock at his near post.

However, despite the 2-0 defeat, Druid's management duo Waynne Phillips and Lee Jones, with less than two weeks before the kick-off of their Welsh Premier League campaign, can take many positives out of the match.

Phillips enjoyed a full 90 minutes against his former side and formed a strong understanding alongside skipper Timmy Edwards, while striker Reuben Kho looked lively up front.

But it was Wrexham who nearly opened the scoring in the 18th minute when a fierce long range effort from Matty Hurdman left 'keeper Carl Edwards rooted to the spot, only for the ball to rebound off the cross bar to safety.

Wrexham continued to push forward as the midfield looked to utilise strong centre forward Read, but it was promising defender Kai Edwards who shone, alongside Chris Marriot as they kept Druids at bay throughout most of the first half.

But Druids almost took the lead just six minutes before the break when a long free-kick was flicked on by Geraint Lewis into the path of Jay Foran, but he shot across the face of the goal from only six yards out.

Three minutes later the home side were denied a penalty when the lightening fast Kho appeared to be barged off the ball inside the opposing box.

At half-time Crowell was replaced by Stuart and his replacement made an immediate impact when on the 51st minute he tapped home from close range, only be adjudged offside.

Eight minutes later and Stuart did make it 1-0 when his long range shot beat Mullock.

The Druids almost levelled within a minute of the restart when Wrexham 'keeper Vinny Whelan flapped a looping free-kick to the feet of Stuart Vernon, but the wingers pinch shot sailed wide of the post.

Kho continued to threaten with his pace as his side pushed for the equaliser and after a powerful run down the right flank, beating two men, he pulled the ball back for Leighton Roberts, but he failed to convert from close range.

As time pressed on it was Kho who came closest to making it 1-1 in the 84th minute, but although at full stretch he could not quite get enough of his head on a deep cross from Alex Hughes.

And in the 88th minute Wrexham sealed the win when Stewart, who had only been on the pitch for two minutes, beat Mullock at his near post.

A game played in, otherwise, good spirit was marred seconds before the referee blew for full-time, when Druids' Leighton Roberts and Wrexham's Chris Marriot were both ordered off the pitch following a fracas between the two players.

Speaking at full-time, Wrexham coach Joey Jones was delighted with the performance of his young side, and said: "Cefn Druids are a decent team with good players and good management, so to beat them was a good result for us."

"They are an experienced side whereas we had a lot of youngsters in our team - I thought we equipped ourselves quite well.

"It was also good to see Matty (Crowell) back as he hasn't played for a long time. We brought him off at half-time, even though he wanted to stay on for longer, but you have to ease him back into it."

NEWI Cefn Druids joint manager Lee Jones was equally pleased by the performance of his team.

He said: "We are less than two weeks away from our first game against TNS so we set ourselves up today with them in mind.

"You cannot attack the stronger teams in our league, the likes of TNS, Llanelli and Rhyl, for 90 minutes because they will just pick you off.

We know we are going to have to be adaptable and be able to change formations throughout the season.

"I thought we did this really well today and frustrated Wrexham for large periods of the game."