Monday, November 28, 2005
Pontin's League Division One West
Preston North End 2 Wrexham 0

Goals -
1-0 Hibbert (29 pen)
2-0 Anyinsah (39)

After an early scare when Joe Anyinsah drove to the Wrexham line but couldn't pull the ball back for either of his two strikers, Wrexham settled to their task with youngsters Marc Williams and Jamie Reed causing the home defence more than a few problems.

Yet on 29 minutes, Anyinsah cut into the Wrexham box avoided the challenge of Mike Williams, but when Paul Warhurst stuck out his leg the former Bristol City midfielder was not going to overlook the opportunity and went down very easily.

Referee KG Evans pointed to the spot and Dave Hibbert converted from 12-yards for the home side.

A quick Preston break on 39 minutes, as Wrexham were up field at a corner, saw Hibbert collect a pass over the top and despite pressure form Simon Spender, he was able to cross low in for Joe Anyinsah to turn his marker and hammer a shot against the crossbar. The ball bounced back to him and he managed to keep his feet to head into the opposite corner of the net.

Despite being two goals down, the Reds retuned to the action in good heart and took the game to their host from the restart.

Reed and Smith combined well on the left flank and gave covering defender Steve Cudworth a torrid 45 minutes.

With Shaun Pejic making way for Gareth Evans midway through the second half, Wrexham sprinted up field through Simon Spender and his pass in for Reed saw the youngster one-on-one with keeper Gavin Ward, but from close range he never got his shot away and ran into the one time Wrexham target.

A Smith corner from the left was met by the unescorted Marc Williams, but with the goal at his mercy he managed to direct the ball over the crossbar from just eight-yards out.

Smith, Whitley and Spender were not averse to chancing their arm with a long range effort and at the other end, Carrots was restricted to dealing with only the occasional raid from North End.

Subs Alex Darlington came close to pulling one back with four minutes to go, when he swept a cross onto the outside of Ward's post.

PRESTON NORTH END

WREXHAM

Gavin Ward

Michael Jones

Richard Baker

Simon Spender

James Archer

Alex Smith

Warren Beattie

Shaun Pejic

Steve Cudworth

Paul Warhurst

Tyrone Mears

Mike Williams

Joe Anyinsah

Mark Harris

Ashley Parillon

Jon Walters

Dave Hibbert

Jamie Reed

Aaron McConville

Marc Williams

Iain Howard

Chris Evans

Subs

Subs

Ben Hinchliffe

Gareth Evans

Ashley Scott

Andy Fleming

Dylan Adams

Alex Darlington

Anthony Warriner

Sion Edwards

Liam Maloney

Aaron Braisdell

Referee: K G Evans
Attendance: 75
Away: 10