A FIRST half strike from Obi Anoruo was enough to earn the points in today's Puma Youth Alliance, game against Oldham Athletic at a chilly Colliers Park.
After a disapponting opening period, central defender Kai Edwards nearly opened the scoring on 16 minutes but he headed over from a floated corner-kick from the left side.
The visitors hit back shortly after when one of their strikers headed against the angle of the crossbar and post with Tom Bainbridge well beaten.
The play was soon back up the other end though and from another set-piece, fellow central defender Leon Clowes stole forward but could only plant his header into the side-netting from a tight angle.
In the 24th minute, the Wrexham keeper failed to claim a cross under little pressure but thankfully a lurking Oldham attacker could only place his header wide.
This was to prove a costly miss, as within a minute the Reds were in front; and it was no surprise to those watching that it was Obi Anoruo who got the all important goal.
The club's leading scorer converted with a powerful and well-directed header, which nestled nicely in the corner of the net from a well struck left-wing cross from skipper Johnny Hunt.
Edwards had a great chance to double our lead on the half hour mark when he headed over from a Luke Carding corner-kick, but he then got the chance to make amends within five mnutes.
The ball was played back to the Welsh youth defender and from his well-struck first time shot the referee gave a penalty for handball, which from the sidelines looked a little harsh as the defender hardly had time to get out of the way.
This decision incensed the Oldham players, their number 5 was booked for his protests but after an unsettling delay, Edwards saw his spot kick fly away off the outside of the post.
The final act of note of the opening period saw an Oldham player place a well struck shot from the edge of the penalty area, but Bainbridge proved more than up to the task as he palmed the ball away for a corner.
The second period started with Wrexham on the offensive and, just a couple of minutes in, Carding's dangerous low cross agonisingly crept away past the far post, surprisingly evading all the attackers and defenders in the penalty area.
With 18 minutes left, Rob Pearson played a perceptive ball from midfield and Carding was unlucky to see his 20-yard shot fly wide.
Just three minutes later, from an Anoruo flick-on, Nick Rushton shot wide from 10 yards out, when he should have at least hit the target and possibly could have made the destination of the points safe.
Rushton had a goal disallowed on 78 minutes, when he produced a neat finish to beat the Latics goalkeeper with a well struck shot from just outside the area, but the winger was penalised by the referee following a push in the back on an Oldham defender.
The visitors had a great chance to level matters with ten minutes left, but their attacker thankfully put his chance over from 10 yards out and in the very last minute an Oldham sub dragged his short across the face of goal and wide of the far post, when he really should have at least tested Bainbridge.
Still a wins a win, and we keep our position at the top of the table whatever happens elsewhere today.
Wrexham: Tom Bainbridge, Jack Jones, Johnny Hunt, Leon Clowes (Walker), Kai Edwards, Nick Rushton, Aaron Malton (Josh Pugh), Ed Moss, Rob Pearson, Luke Carding, Obi Anoruo.
