PREVIEW | Yeovil Town vs Wrexham

League action resumes with a trip south.

21 January 2022

Wrexham return to league action hoping to avenge our only home defeat of the season so far.

Yeovil have had an inconsistent season so far, but their promotion ambitions are still intact. A win would lift them to within five points of us with a game in hand, and bring the play-offs into sight.

However, they must improve on the patchiness of their form if they are to mount a challenge for a post-season spot. The story of their matches between now and their visit to The Racecourse in November encapsulates how their all-or-nothing form has developed.

They came to us on the back of a 5-game unbeaten streak - in fact, apart from Chesterfield we were the top teams in the National League form table at the time. The Glovers emerged with a first win in North Wales, aided by a couple of well-taken late goals and the first half dimissal of Liam MacAlinden.

After that victory Yeovil maintained their terrific form with a couple of 1-0 home wins: a giant-killing in the FA Cup against Stevenage was followed up by victory against Barnet. Those results meant that they went into Boxing Day on a 10-game unbeaten run, and they'd won 8 of those matches.

However, things turned around in spectacular manner at that point. Torquay United did the double over them in their festive double-header, and after Burnemouth beat them in the cup they succumbed to a defeat at the hands of Southend United in their most recent game.

HEAD TO HEADWe enjoyed our first win at Huish Park last season, when Kwame Thomas ’ close range goal in the first half secured victory on the second Saturday of the season.

We held onto the win fairly comfortably, in contrast to our previous matches at Yeovil, which were catastrophic.

The season before we collapsed to a 3-0 loss. Despite being emphatically second best in the first period, we looked like we were going to hang on until the break, but with two minutes left Courtney Duffus scored a bizarre goal, tapping the ball into the empty net after Rob Lainton and released the ball to kick it away. At first look it appeared to be a horrible error by the keeper, but close scrutiny of the footage showed that Lainton had every right to be unhappy with the referee’s decision to let the goal stand.

The second half was a formality: Town got a second ten minutes after the break and completed the scoring in added time.

Our previous match at Huish Park was equally unhappy. It was an FA Cup first round tie in November 2003, and the BBC covered it live so the whole nation could share in our embarrassment. The game at the end of a particularly unhappy week in cup competitions, as the previous midweek we’d travelled to Stockport for an LDV Vans Trophy match and lost 5-4!

Last Meeting:
30/11/21 Wrexham 0 Yeovil Town 2 (Staunton 64, Lo-Everton 83)
Wrexham: Lainton, Hayden, Tozer, Lennon (J Jones 63), Hall-Johnson, McAlinden, Young, Davies, Hosannah (Hyde 78), Ponticelli (Green 78), Mullin. UNUSED SUBS: Dibble,

Yeovil Town: Smith, Hunt, Staunton, Williams, Barnett, Moss, Gorman, Worthington, Wakefield, Lo-Everton (Wilkinson 88), Yussuf (Bradley 81). UNUSED SUBS: Evans, Haste.

Attendance: 8,047

Referee: David Richardson

Yellow Cards:
Wrexham – Lennon
Yeovil – Moss

Red Cards:
Wrexham – McAlinden (34th minute)
Yeovil - None

To be fair, we didn’t field a full strength side at Edgeley Park, and ought to have won when we went 4-2 up midway through the second half. However, a goalkeeping error allowed County back into the game and they scored a penalty in the 6^th minute of extra time, giving us just 9 minutes to equalise under the rightly defunct silver goal rule.

The journey to Yeovil three days later saw us ship goals again, but there was no hard luck story this time. We were behind at half time to a goal by Kevin Gall, who would spend an unhappy season at The Racecourse 6 years later.

After the break we capitulated, conceding in the first minute of the second half and finding ourselves four goals down with 25 minutes left. Chris Armstrong (above) scored with two minutes left, but it was nothing more than a consolation.

POTENTIAL MILESTONES

If Wrexham score, we will set a club record by scoring in each of our first 14 away games in a season.

Match Reports

REPORT | Yeovil Town 1-2 Wrexham AFC

Red Dragons come from behind to get back to winning ways in the league

22 January 2022

Paul Mullin’s brilliant strike sparked a second-half comeback as Wrexham came from a goal down to win away to Yeovil Town.

The Glovers led at the break from Tom Knowles’ strike, and missed some good chances to add to their lead too.

But Mullin curled into the top corner to equalise, before Jordan Davies’ low ball was turned into the Glovers’ net by Yeovil defender Morgan Williams.

Wrexham started with Kwame Thomas and Paul Mullin up front, while Harry Lennon also came into the starting line-up in place of Max Cleworth.

Thomas and Mullin struggled to make an impact in the first-half, however, and Yeovil took full advantage at the other end.

Knowles put Yeovil in front on 14 minutes, opting against a long throw to instead go short, collect the short ball and then fire in from distance. Davies failed to block the effort, which Rob Lainton only saw late as it nestled into the net.

Knowles got into a similar position again moments later, but this time shot straight at Lainton, who saved and held.

Wrexham’s only real chance before the break was a Davies’ free-kick, which went just wide from 25 yards via a slight deflection.

At the other end, Wrexham were slack and Charlie Wakefield missed a gilt-edged chance to double the lead. Ben Tozer’s heavy backpass put Rob Lainton in trouble and, though the keeper cleared, the ball was worked into the area and Wakefield fluffed his lines.

Josh Staunton also headed over from close range, and Wrexham may have felt fortunate to only be one-down at the break.

After the break, however, Wrexham improved significantly. Jordan Ponticelli replaced Kwame Thomas, and he and Mullin saw more of the ball.

Just minutes before his equaliser, Mullin raced onto Reece Hall-Johnson’s lofted pass but he shot agonisingly wide of the far post after an excellent touch and low effort.

The equaliser arrived on 59 minutes, however, and in some style. Though Yeovil were aggrieved at having had two players down at the time, Wrexham won back possession and Bryce Hosannah chipped inside for Mullin. Mullin brought the ball down with one touch and sidefooted into the top corner from the edge of the box to level.

The game became stop-start, and Hosannah was forced off by injury – to be replaced by Liam McAlinden at left wing-back following one of several stoppages.

But Wrexham remained on top, and the reward came on 78 minutes. Ponticelli could not get enough of a touch on McAlinden’s excellent left-footed cross across the six-yard area, but Davies followed in at the back post – Williams steering his low cross into his own net.

Hall-Johnson nearly extended the lead with Wrexham in the ascendancy – pouncing on the rebound when Grant Smith spilled Davies’ free-kick – but he hit the post from a tight angle.

Yeovil threw on Adi Yussuf and Reuben Reid at the other end, but Wrexham held on – running the clock down through six minutes of stoppage time – to move back into the play-off places.

Line-ups

Wrexham: Lainton, Hall-Johnson, Hayden, Tozer, Lennon, Hosannah (McAlinden 66), Young, Davies, J.Jones, Mullin, Thomas (Ponticelli 46)

Subs not used: Dibble, Angus, Cleworth

Yeovil Town: Smith, Little, Williams, Gorman, Robinson, Staunton (Bradley 76), Barnett (Reid 86), Worthington (Yussuf 82), Knowles, Lo-Everton, Wakefield

Subs not used: Evans, Stephens

Match Reports

Ticket News

TICKETS | Yeovil Town (A) on sale from 9am Wednesday

Tickets available direct from Yeovil Town website

4 January 2022

Tickets for our next away game, at Yeovil Town on Saturday January 22, will be available to buy direct from the Glovers’ ticket office from tomorrow (Wednesday January 5) at 9am.

Wrexham have been allocated 600 seats in the Screwfix Stand, in addition to unreserved standing space on the Martin Baker terrace.

Supporters should note that the Martin Baker Terrace is a full, standing terrace and uncovered.

Tickets are available to buy direct from the Yeovil Town ticket office here, as well as over the phone on 01935 847 888. Tickets are £1 per ticket cheaper if bought online, and also increase in price if bought after 12pm on the day of the game, so buying online in advance is recommended.

Disabled supporters who require a companion ticket should contact Disability Liaison Officer, Kerry Evans, on kerry.evans@wrexhamafc.co.uk.

Tickets for the game are priced as follows:

Screwfix Stand (Seated)

Adult: £18 (online), £19 (box office), £21 (match day)

Senior/Military: £16, £17, £19

16-23: £12, £12, £14

Under-16: £5, £5, £5

Under-12: £3, £3, £3

Martin Baker Stand (standing, uncovered)

Adult: £13 (online), £14 (box office), £16 (match day)

Senior/Military: £10, £11, £13

16-23: £10, £10, £12

Under-16: £5, £5, £5

Under-12: £3, £3, £3

Please note, under-12s must be accompanied by an adult/senior/armed forces/young person ticket.

Travel will also be available to buy from our own eTicketing website. Buses will depart from the Mold Road at 07:30 and will cost £30 for adults, and £28 for under-18s.

Ticket News

Standings