PREVIEW | Wrexham v Notts County

An Ancient Rivalry Marks Our First Home Game of The Season.

29 August 2021

We’ve taken a number of small steps towards normality this Summer, but here’s an enormous leap towards the future.

Wrexham’s first competitive home game in front of fans, 510 days after the goalless draw with Eastleigh in March 2020, which turned out to be our last match before lockdown. While the capacity will be restricted by the continuing work done in the Wrexrent Stand, it’s going to be an occasion to relish, with the rest of the ground sold out and opponents who will be looking to challenge for the title.

THE OPPOSITION

Notts County have been a constant presence at the top end of the table since their relegation to the National League in 2019, and manager Ian Burchnall has built on the foundations laid by Neal Ardley to craft a side which will target to spit this time around.

Kyle Wootton remains a formidable force up front, and he had a couple of bruising encounters with the Red Dragons’ defenders last season, the match at Meadow Lane culminating in him receiving a red card.

Alongside him, exciting pace and flair are offered by Cal Roberts and Ruben Rodriguez. The former was signed amidst much excitement, but the promising forward’s progress was seriously hampered by injury. However, he’s back to full fitness now and hit the ground running as the trio enjoyed a memorable first day of the season at Barnet.

The North London outfit suffered a rough week off the pitch, and theur suffering was compounded on the Saturday when The Magpies triumphed 5-0 at The Hive!

Last Saturday they sought revenge for the defeat to Torquay United in the play-off semi-finals last season which brought their campaign to an end, and

HEAD TO HEAD

Two late 1-0 defeats to Notts County last season did decisive damage to our promotion hopes, and it was in keeping with our recent record against The Magpies for them to deal us such a telling blow.

We’ve won just one of our last 8 games with County, losing 5, and defeat today would be an unprecedented 3^rd consecutive loss to them, and a first time we’d lost to them in back-to-back home games.

Last May's clash at The Racecourse saw Jake Reeves score the only goal after 26 minutes, capping a superb opening period from the Magpies. Wrexham responded well, but couldn't force an equaliser.

Our last victory over County was in April 2008. We were in the midst of a futile attempt to avoid relegation to the National League, and claimed victory through a late Neil Roberts goal. If we’d lost the end of our time in the Football League would have been confirmed: as it was, our fate was confirmed at Hereford three days later.

We beat them just once in our last seven Football League matches, and in total we’ve won just four of our last twenty-eight games against them.

The only other home win we’ve enjoyed over County this Millennium came on Boxing Day 2001. Waynne Phillips got an early goal but it looked like the game would end in a 1-1 draw until Lee Trundle hit the winner in the 87th minute.

Considering the run of positive results County have enjoyed against us this century, it’s hardly surprising that they’ve enjoyed 4 league doubles against us, while we’ve managed just one.

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Our biggest win over The Magpies was in March 1963 when Brian Whitehouse got two and Ken.Barnes, Ernie Phythian (above) and Clive Colbridge also struck in a 5-1 win.

Barnes, Phythian, Sammy McMillan and Karl Connolly are our top scorers against The Magpies, with Gary Bennett, Arfon Griffiths (below), Steve Watkin, Whitehouse and Don Weston one goal behind.

LAST GAME:

Wrexham 0 Notts Co 1 (Reeves 26)

Wrexham: R Lainton, F Kelleher (T French, 52), T Vassell, J Davies, S Pearson, C Green, D Jarvis (K Marsh-Brown, 81), L Young, R Hall-Johnson, G Omotayo, D Angus (J Ponticelli, 66) Subs not used: P Rutherford, C Dibble
Notts County: S Slocombe, A Chicksen, R Brindley, C Miller (D McCrory, 77), D Kelly-Evans, M Ellis, Ruben Rodrigues (E Sam, 67), J O'Brien, K Wootton, M Doyle, J Reeves Subs not used: E Boldewijn, R Griffiths, B Turner

Referee: Rebecca Welch

Bookings:
Wrexham – Omotayo
Notts County – Rodrigues, Wootton

Red Cards: None

Attendance: BCD

MILESTONES
James Jones’ 225^th career appearance.

Rob Lainton’s 150^th career league appearance.

Tyler French’s 50^th career appearance.

REFEREE: Thomas Parsons (3rd season in National League)

Wrexham's record under Parsons: P1 W0 01 L1 (6/10/20 Solihull Moors (a) 0-1)

Notts County's record under Parsons: P2 W0 D1 L1

Match Previews

Match Reports

MATCH REPORT | Wrexham 1-1 Notts County

Mulllin header earns a point

30 August 2021

Paul Mullin’s second half equaliser was enough to secure Wrexham a point against promotion challengers Notts County in the club’s first home competitive fixture in front of supporters for 510 days.

After going a goal down on the brink of half-time courtesy of a Kyle Wootton header, Paul Mullin put the reds back on level terms ten minutes into the second half as he headed past Slocombe.

Phil Parkinson made one change from his side that were victorious two days earlier at Eastleigh as Max Cleworth made his second start of the season replacing Harry Lennon.

Despite a strong first half performance from Wrexham, full of chances, it was the visitors that made the breakthrough on the 44th minute mark.

Kyle Wootton got himself on the end of a floated cross from the County skipper Cameron and his header looped past Lainton.

However, the Red Dragons nearly took the lead some two minutes into the game as Aaron Hayden’s commanding header found its way through to Paul Mullin and his effort was parried away by Slocombe.

County tried to impose themselves into the early stages as an outside of the foot through ball from Wootton caught French out of position and allowed Mitchell to advance past Tozer on the left-hand side, but his cross was cleared to safety by Cleworth.

Wrexham had great chance to take the lead 25 minutes into the first half, Davies combined with Paul Mullin on the right-hand side and his pull back to Luke Young sailed over the bar.

The reds thought they’d made they’re early pressure count on the half hour mark as James Jones thrashed his half volley past Sam Slocombe but was ruled out for offside due to Hyde’s involvement in the build-up.

Ten minutes into the second half and Wrexham found the equaliser, a whipped cross from James Jones was headed past Slocombe by Paul Mullin on his home debut.

Wrexham continued to pile on the pressure and nearly found themselves ahead.

A neatly worked move between Mullin, Hyde and Davies broke to Jones on the edge of the area but his shot was held by Slocombe.

The second half wasn’t without its chances for County as their top goal scorer Ruben Rodrigues fizzed his dipping shot over Lainton and into the WrexRent stand.

The remainder of the fixture became a cagey affair, with the Notts defence battling against the threatening long throw of Ben Tozer and in the 92nd minute they nearly came unstuck.

Another surging throw found its way to Max Cleworth at the back post and his flicked header was deflected onto the post and out for a corner.

Tonight’s draw means we go into 8th position, picking up five points from the first three games, as we look ahead to Saturday’s fixture away from home against Southend.

Wrexham AFC (3-5-2): Lainton (GK), French, Hayden, Tozer, Cleworth, Reckord, Young ©, J. Jones (McAlinden 79’), Davies, Hyde (Angus 70’), Mullin.

Subs not used: Dibble, Green, D. Jones,

Notts County (3-5-2): Slocombe (GK), Cameron©, Rawlinson (Chicksen 69’), Brindley, Taylor, Kelly-Evans, Francis (Roberts 56’), O’Brien, Palmer, Mitchell (Rodrigues 56’), Wootten.

Subs not used: Nemane and Sam.

Bookings:

Wrexham: Davies (foul)

Notts County: Francis (52, foul), O’Brien (55, foul), Roberts (64, foul), Rodrigues (85, foul)

Attendance: 5454

Man of the Match: Luke Young

Match Reports

Wrexham AFC

Standings

PREVIEW | Wrexham v Notts County

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Standings

Fixture News

FIXTURE CHANGE | Wrexham vs Notts County on BT Sport 1; now 7.30pm kick-off

Fixture News

FIXTURE CHANGE | Wrexham vs Notts County on BT Sport 1; now 7.30pm kick-off