Goals:
1-0 Marc Williams (41)
2-0 Marc Williams (43)
3-0 Steve Evans (62)
3-1 Craig Moses (65)
4-1 Robin Kacaniklic (71)
4-2 Marc Lloyd Williams (76)
4-3 Marc Lloyd Williams (80)
5-3 Mark Jones (81)
THE sun shone in mid Wales and the players certainly made hay as the goals flowed in an eight goal thriller against the Welsh Premier League side, and there could have been even more as the Reds also struck the woodwork on two more occasions.
After a early flourish of chances, mainly for Wrexham with Marc Williams, Mark Jones and Mike Williams all going close - Mike actually hitting the woodwork from distance - Marc Lloyd Williams should have done better for Newtown, when the ball arrived at his feet unmarked at the back post only for Anthony Williams to pull off a great save, diving low and flicking the ball over his own crossbar to deny the veteran striker.
It was Wrexham's extra pace which was finally to open the game up, although the first goal didn't arrive until four minutes before break. Matty Done produced a long run from his own half before sliding a pass through the home defence to allow Marc Williams a clear sight of goal and to fire home passed keeper Dave Jones.
One quickly became two a couple of minutes later as another Done run saw a long pass to the opposite wing that allowed Josh Johnson to bear down on goal, only for him to resist the chance of shooting from a tight angle, rather pulling his pass back into the path of Marc Williams, who only had to side foot into the net from close range.
Just after the hour mark Steve Evans got his name on the scoresheet, when finishing off a cross from Johnson, who had picked up an over hit corner and returned with accuracy, allowing the defender an easy chance at the back post.
On 65 minutes Newtown lifted themselves with a great cross from Rob Dean that left the Wrexham defence flat footed and allowed Craig Moses room to steal in unnoticed and finish from just a few yards out.
The visitors almost responded immediately when a six man move finished with Marc Williams' diving header going over the crossbar when the striker was picked out by Chris Llewellyn.
A fourth goal did arrive on 72 minutes, when Swedish substitute Robin Kacaniklic took a cross field pass on his chest, cut inside his marker and from the corner of the Newtown box fired in a low shot that beat the keeper at his near post.
Having introduced a number of youngsters in the closing stages, the Reds were caught on the back foot when an attacking set piece broke down and Newtown moved the ball up field and Moses crossed for Marc Lloyd Williams to finish in style from just inside the area.
The scoreline narrowed further on 80 minutes, when a Gareth Watkin's cross left the visitors staring at each other in defence and no one picking up Marc Lloyd Williams, who calmly collected his second strike of the evening from no more than eight yards out.
This was not then of the goals though and within 60 seconds, a quick free kick from Mark Jones, some 30-yards from goal, caught the home defence unawares and ended up nestling in the back of the net.
Gareth Evans, who had been playing right back, was unlucky not to score in the 83d minute when a nod down by Steve Evans set him up for a shot from 20-yards and his rasping drive struck the underside of the Newtown crossbar with such pace that it bounced down on the line and rebounded back into play.
The night finished on a sour note as Steve Evans was crudely tackled from behind on the edge of his own box when clearing a set piece and looks to have suffered ligament damage which might sideline him for several weeks.
Newtown: Dave Jones (Danny Jones 56), Craig Williams (Dan March 75), Damien Daniels (Gareth Watkins 46), Hugh Clarke (Gary Price 43), Danny Jellicoe, Richard Williams-Cooke (Dan Griffiths 75), Sean Butler (Rob Dean 46), Glenn Tolley (Tom Griffin 56), Craig Moses, Marc Lloyd Williams, Adam Worton (Kevin Scott 46).
Wrexham: Anthony Williams, Gareth Evans, Mike Williams (Lee Jones 73), Chris Marriott, Steve Evans (Levi Mackin 89), Danny Williams (Wes Baynes 76), Josh Johnson, Mark Jones, Chris Llewellyn (Jamie Reed 69), Marc Williams, Matty Done (Robin Kacaniklic 60).
Sub: Michael Jones.
Referee: P Ballantyne
Attendance: 200ish
Away: 100ish
