Chris Llewellyn crashes home our winning goal -
Pictures thanks to Keith Williams - Sportpixs

Goals -
1-0 Carey-Bertram (20)
1-1 Ugarte (21)
1-2 Llewellyn (74)

On a monumental day for the club, the players battled through to a hard fought victory over a Hereford United side that had already despatched three Football League clubs to reach this stage of the competition.

Events off the field will dominate the headlines, but this victory might prove just as vital as we cleared another hurdle on the way to a possible Millennium Stadium appearance.

Not our best performance of the season, but in the end - did it really matter!

Hereford fans were on their feet after just four minutes when Daniel Carey-Bertram shot at goal from by the penalty spot, only to see it charged down by Steve Roberts, who had his arms up, leaving them loudly appealing for a penalty.

Wrexham responded within 60 seconds as Chris Llewellyn took the ball down the right flank and dragged his cross back for Juan Ugarte, who from 15-yards fired left footed straight at a relieved Craig Mawson in the home goal.

United were enjoying the majority of the early possession as they tried to put a few disappointing performances behind them, which had seen them slip away from the play-off race since Christmas.

They were obviously responding to manager Graham Turner's pleas and were pouring men forward at every opportunity.

A 25-yard free kick taken by midfielder Rob Purdie kicked up in front of Ben Foster, but the new keeper got his body behind it and prevented Carey-Bertram from benefiting form any rebound.

A lovely cross field pass from Craig Stanley reached Stanley whose low shot was driven right through the six-yard box with no one able to convert.

Then Purdie had a free header from a Stanley cross, but he somehow misjudged his jump and arrived well before the ball!

Hereford's pressure finally counted on 19 minutes, as Stanley's long through pass to Stansfield saw the strike streak clear. He rounded the advancing Foster, but was pushed wide and with three back shirts covering back the chance looked to have passed.

But the cross evaded Steve Roberts to allow Daniel Carey-Bertram, standing free at the back post to ram the ball into the roof of the net from just two-yards out.

Wrexham then made the home side pay as they were still celebrating that goal, with Andy Holt crossing in from the left for Juan Ugarte to pick his spot with a delightful header that beat Mawson at the near post.

The ball hitting the back of the Hereford United net just 74 seconds after the Bulls had taken the lead!

After a quiet spell, a 37th minute left sided corner cleared across the area where Jim Whitley collected the ball, circled round and hit it with his left foot. The shoot was heading for the inside of the keeper's right hand post, but Mawson threw himself at full length to touch it away for a corner.

Carey-Bertram then did well to slip in between two Wrexham defenders before letting go a shot that hit the side netting of Foster's goal.

As play swung to the other end, Mark Jones tried his luck from 25-yards and saw his shot bounce off Mawson's chest but with Ugarte circling the luck of the bounce saved the keeper's blushes!

On 44 minutes Mark Jones was fouled by Tony James in the United 'd', but the resulting free kick was somewhat wasted as the back heel for Roberts was too hard, as he adjusted himself the final shot was well off target.

At the break, not only was an announcement made over the club's future, but Cardiff City were losing 1-0 at Bangor and Darren Ferguson came on for Crowell.

United had the first opening of the second period as Stansfield picked the ball up from a Wrexham throw in, but as he made his way into the visitor's box he pulled his shot across the face of the goal but behind his fellow strikers.

This was followed up moments later by a long run by Purdie on the left, but he failed to make it count by firing off target when well placed.

Ferguson's first telling contribution came on 55 minutes, when Jones and Ugarte combined on the left to set up their skipper, but from 20-yards he got under the ball and lifted his effort high over Mawson's crossbar.

As in the first 45 minutes, the home side were enjoying the better of the exchanges as Wrexham struggled to come to terms with the enthusiasm shown by the Conference side.

It took Ugarte going deep into his own half to get the ball back that set Chris Llewellyn up for a 50-yard run, which finished with the striker holding off Mkandawire before unleashing a shot that only missed Mawson's left hand post by a matter of inches.

Wrexham then kept their hosts pinned back then and when Roberts headed back into the six-yard box from a Ferguson corner Llewellyn was set up perfectly for a free header from eight yards, but saw his effort safely clear the crossbar!

Llewellyn then put in a poor back pass which Travis picked up on and slung over a cross that caused panic in the visitor's goalmouth before Lawrence threw his body in front of a shot from the edge of the box.

Then the moment that the 400+ travelling fans had been looking for as a long throw from Holt was headed on by Lawrence with the ball dropping at the feet of Chris Llewellyn. From just 10-yards out he looked up and lifted his effort over the players in front of him, volleying it into the back of the Hereford net.

Craig Morgan was then close to extending that lead when he met a left wing Ferguson corner and heading just over the crossbar from the near post.

Turner through on his own Danny Williams with seven minutes remaining as he brought on a forward for a defender.

As teams do when defending a slender lead, Wrexham fell back and United piled on the pressure. With 85 minutes on the clock a United corner saw Foster make a double save from first Carey-Bertram and Mkandawire, both from inside the six-yard box.

Scott Green was introduced to replace Danny Williams, as Denis Smith asked his more experienced players to close out the game.

This was exactly what they did and the Reds progress to the Northern Final of this season's trophy!

Hereford: Craig Mawson, Tom Smith (Danny Williams 83), Tony James, Tamika Mkandawire, Simon Travis, Mark Robinson, Rob Purdie, Craig Stanley, Jamie Pitman, Daniel Carey-Bertram, Adam Stansfield (David Brown 76).
Subs: Ben Scott, Sam Gwynne, Andy Williams.

Wrexham: Ben Foster, Steve Roberts, Craig Morgan, Dennis Lawrence, Jim Whitley, Andy Holt, Matt Crowell (Darren Ferguson 46), Danny Williams (Scott Green 86), Mark Jones, Chris Llewellyn, Juan Ugarte.
Subs: Michael Jones, Shaun Pejic, Alex Smith.

Referee: Brian Curson (Leics)
Attendance: 2,710
Away: 409

Bookings -
Wrexham: Williams (25, dissent)

STAT ATTACK
7	Shots On Target	3
5	Shots Off Target	8
8	Fouls (Conceded)	18
5	Corners	5
0	Yellow Cards	1
0	Red Cards	0
REFEREE: B Curson