A meeting with Ipswich Town is rare enough at any level, even more so for the Youth team, so it was a pleasure to welcome the Tractor Boys to Colliers Park this evening.
Although not present in person, the game had been arranged through from Wrexham centre half and living legend Tony Humes, now the Academy Director at Portman Road.
The team that Ipswich put out were certainly in Tony's mould, big and strong, so much so that the opening exchanges threatened to see the visitors steamroller their hosts, who were minus two players on international duty and another two injured on the sidelines.
Slowly Wrexham started to get the measure of the Blues and began to create a few openings of their own, mainly through the good work of Irish winger George Stewart.
The former Linfield man, who played one first team game for the Irish League champions last season, was an ever present menace on the right wing, hitting the woodwork on one occasion and then sending in a tempting low cross which no one could finish from close range.
It was though Ipswich who took the lead five minutes before the end of the half, although under controversial circumstances. A ball played in form the right struck the hand of an attacker, but despite the appeals of the Wrexham defence no free kick was awarded by the referee and with the home players still protesting, the Ipswich left winger stepped up to bury the ball in the back of Vinny Whelan's net.
The Reds were unlucky not to draw level just before the break, when Mark Stewart cut in from the right and fired a low shot that just missed the far post.
Five minutes after the restart, Stewart's run on the wing saw him cross for Matty Hurdman to try and lob the keeper, but while he beat the Ipswich custodian he also hit the crossbar.
At the other Whelan was call upon to make an excellent diving save to deny an Ipswich striker who had beaten the offside trap and struck a low shot towards the keeper's left.
The Ipswich keeper was then only too happy to tip over the bar Luke Carden's left wing cross which threatened to cause him some problems.
Michael Cronshaw pulled the Reds level on 53 minutes, when finished off from eight yards touching home Stewart's cross after the Irishman had driven to the line and picked out the striker with a pin point pass.
The visitors were pushing forward in the closing stages and after one of their substitutes had forced another top class save from Whelan, their two wingers combined to conjure up a wining goal.
The man on the left flank crossed deep for his counterpart on the right to meet the ball in the volley and hammer home the deciding strike.
Ipswich will continue their tour with a game against Port Vale on Thursday before returning home to Suffolk.
Wrexham: Vinny Whelan, Kia Edwards, Johnny Hunt, Lee Jones (River Cass 73), Chris Marriott, Tom Matischok (Robert Pearson 67), George Stewart, Matty Hurdman (Jack Jones 67), Michael Cronshaw, Mark Stewart (Obi Anoruo 73), Luke Carden.
Coach Steve Cooper was not too disappointed by losing to a late goal.
"The boys didn't deserve this result," he said.
"It was a shame we weren't able to push on and claim the win for ourselves, but I think we can take plenty of positives from the performance.
"I think we have shown we can play and have more than matched, in all departments, a team from a higher division.
"Things are starting to come together and we have demonstrated that we have some ability."
