WREXHAM 0 MACCLESFIELD TOWN 1
Mark Currie - Daily Post

WREXHAM were mugged by League Two rivals Macclesfield Town last night after the visitors soaked up almost incessant pressure before setting up a trip to neighbours Stockport County in the second round of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

And the game ended in uproar when home substitute Michael Proctor was sent off in the 90th minute, joining colleague Chris Llewellyn in the dressing room after the Welsh international's earlier dismissal.

It was not the only contentious decision of the night from referee Darren Drysdale, who infuriated Wrexham boss Brian Carey by giving a doubtful penalty to the visitors which was converted by Michael Husbands and ultimately separated the sides.

Five changes from the line-up that started Saturday's match against Rotherham was proof that manager Brian Carey's patience is wearing thin, but his opposite number Ian Brightwell also rang the changes with six fresh faces in his side following Town's weekend reverse at home to Wycombe Wanderers.

And the early signs were encouraging for the home side, who started at a high tempo with Matty Done setting Llewellyn up for a shot after just three minutes that was blocked.

Two minutes later Steve Evans won a challenge and threaded the ball forward to Eifion Williams, who turned and fired in a fierce effort that goalkeeper Jon Brain was happy to push away.

A Danny Thomas free-kick for the visitors, glanced on by former Racecourse youngster Jimmy McNulty, almost caught Anthony Williams unaware, the ball drifting just wide of the far post.

But the Dragons were quickly on the offensive again, Michael Carvill's curling centre beating Brain, only to skid behind via the upright.

Another excellent opening in the 23rd minute went begging when Done intercepted a poor pass and fed Llewellyn who, with only the keeper to beat, made it easy for Brain to block.

But at least the home side were creating chances, doing their best to keep possession and play their way into the danger areas, rather than booting the ball forward at every opportunity, as has been the case in recent matches.

Wrexham suffered a double blow before the break, losing their full-backs Ryan Valentine and Mike Williams to injury in the space of six minutes, with Shaun Pejic and Marc Williams coming on as replacements.

The reshuffle saw Done move into the left-back spot and teenager Williams into midfield as the home side refused to let the changes unsettle them.

In added time Carvill got to the byline but was unable to pick out a team-mate in the crowded penalty area and the resumption brought a revised 3-5-2 system designed to push Done and Carvill forward on the flanks.

The second period continued in similar vein, Wrexham applying all the pressure and the Silkmen hanging onto the ropes.

Steve Evans had a close-range header blocked, another effort from Llewellyn suffered the same fate and Marc Williams lashed a shot across the six-yard box.

The visitors, though, were still looking to break whenever possible and a last-ditch challenge by Richard Hope denied Michael Husbands a tap-in after Thomas beat the home keeper to the ball.

Macclesfield survived again when Done left two defenders in his wake, but saw a thunderous shot rebound from the crossbar in the 63rd minute, and Wrexham's misfortunes intensified in a controversial five-minute spell.

In the 66th minute referee Darren Drysdale saw a handball in a penalty area melee, allowing Husbands to break the deadlock from the spot, and minutes later Llewellyn made the mistake of talking back after being harshly booked for a foul and was sent off.

The home side hit back, an Evans header being cleared off the line, a Carvill 25-yarder flying inches wide of the far post and a Marc Williams curler just clearing the bar as the visitors hung on.

Carey blasted the performance of Drysdale after Proctor was sent off in the last minute for stamping on a player.

The manager said: "The disappointing thing is that we've lost, but everyone here could see there was a dramatic improvement in our performance.

"I'm not too sure why Chris was sent off, I need to clarify that with the referee. But as for Michael Proctor, he said he landed on the player as he tried to go over him, and I think the referee lost the game then.

"We hit the bar and should have had a penalty as their defence panicked, but when the ball went down the other end it hit one of our players and he's given a penalty.

"His performance is what most people will be talking about after this."

Even Macclesfield boss Brightwell backed up Carey's claim, saying: "If I was Wrexham I would be very disappointed.

"To be fair I thought they deserved a penalty, and for our penalty I thought the defender didn't know where the ball was and it hit him on the hand."

MORE MISERY FOR DRAGONS
Darren Devine - Western Mail

NINE-MAN Wrexham slumped to a fourth consecutive home defeat last night when they were dumped out of the first round of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy by Macclesfield Town.

Striker Michael Husband's 66th-minute spot-kick was enough to separate the sides after Red Dragons' substitute Marc Williams was penalised for shirt-pulling in the box.

Minutes after the goal Wrexham striker Chris Llewellyn was dismissed for two yellows in quick succession and was followed by Michael Proctor for an injury-time stamp on James Jennings.

In an effort to halt his team's alarming slide in form boss Brian Carey made five changes to the side that lost to Rotherham United at the weekend.

Defender Mike Williams, midfielders Mike Carvill, Matt Crowell and Silvio Spann and striker Llewellyn all started, while Simon Spender, Levi Mackin, Mark Jones and Neil Roberts were all rested, with Proctor on the bench.

In the opening stages Carey's strategy looked promising as Llewellyn saw an effort blocked on the edge of the box following a burst down the left by Dragons' winger Matty Done.

And with the Dragons looking to maintain their bright start, striker Eifion Williams turned on the edge of the box, only to see his shot stopped by Macclesfield goalkeeper Jonathan Brian.

The visitors' first riposte came when defender Jimmy McNulty shaved the post with a header just after the 10-minute mark before Carvill also grazed the upright at the other end.

After a lull in proceedings, Macclesfield midfielder Levi Reid fired a free-kick harmlessly wide before team-mate Simon Wiles produced an impressive save from Anthony Williams.

But Wrexham hit back just before the interval with Carvill getting behind the Macclesfield backline, but unable to pick out a Wrexham shirt as his ball fizzed low across the face of the goal.

With around an hour on the clock Husbands fired wide from inside the six-yard box, before Done beat two men only for his shot to bounce back of the bar and Llewellyn sent the rebound wide.

As the Dragons poured forward in search of an equaliser after the penalty, Spann blasted an effort just over before Hope saw a header from a corner cleared off the line.