Wrexham started their 2021/22 pre-season preparations with a narrow loss to Burnley Under-23s at the latter’s training facility.
In changeable weather conditions, Burnley striker Joe McGlynn scored with the game’s first notable chance and there was no further scoring.
Wrexham did create chances, but a combination of good shot-stopping from Burnley’s trialist goalkeeper and the lack of a clinical touch in front of goal combined to keep the visitors out.
Phil Parkinson’s first starting XI in charge of Wrexham featured a blend of established players, new signings and trialists.
In front of Rob Lainton, defenders Tyler French and Shaun Brisley flanked a trialist in the middle, with another trialist at right wing-back and Cameron Green on the opposite side.
Jordan Davies and Dan Jarvis started in central midfield, with a third trialist, and Dior Angus partnered Jake Bickerstaff up front.
Davies was straight into the thick of the action too, winning a free-kick in the fourth minute, but his shot across goal from the resultant set-piece was straight at the goalkeeper.
Burnley’s youngsters took the lead on six minutes, however – Harker getting in behind the defence and crossing low for McGlynn to turn in the opening goal.
That goal aside, however, it was the visitors – in their new green away shirts – who had the better early chances.
Angus’ header was saved comfortably by Burnley’s trialist goalkeeper on seven minutes, after Davies’ early left-wing cross.
Trialist B then arrived at the back post, after Green’s cross went straight through, but his fierce strike was parried wide.
Angus’ left-footed shot from a tight angle was saved on 17 minutes, and the striker was denied by the trialist keeper again four minutes later when he headed down from Green’s lofted cross.
Green was getting more involved on the left, and his diagonal cross picked out Trialist B on 26 minutes, but his shot was parried by the impressive keeper. Wrexham’s trialist wing-back kept the ball alive, and passed to Jarvis, but again the shot was parried clear.
Burnley finished the half well, however, after soaking up that pressure and Harker’s fierce shot nearly caught Lainton out on 32 minutes but the goalkeeper parried clear well.
Dodgson then won the ball on the let on 37 minutes and cut inside, but his right-footed effort curled just wide from 20 yards.
At half-time, Christian Dibble replaced Lainton in goal, but Wrexham otherwise started the half unchanged.
Angus won a free-kick on the edge of the box on 52 minutes, but – from Davies’ free-kick – Brisley’s header was saved.
At the other end, Williams shot well over left-footed on 56 minutes from a free-kick of his own.
Wrexham made their first outfield changes on 59 minutes, as new strikers Jake Hyde and Paul Mullin came on together, replacing Angus and Bickerstaff. Youth team player Joe Fountain replaced Trialist B in the same switch.
Frequent substitutions combined with a dramatic change in weather, as a thunderstorm rolled in, meant the game lacked momentum for a bit, however.
Dibble saved with his legs on 64 minutes as Burnley maintained their rhythm a little better.
Wrexham’s best chance fell to Mullin, meanwhile, after a long ball over the top on 77 minutes. The striker cut inside but, from a tight angle, curled over.
A left-wing cross then dropped for Fountain on 81 minutes, but his half-volley across goal was blocked.
At the other end, Dibble tipped a long-range shot over the bar at full stretch on 83 minutes, and Burnley headed wide in the final moments from a corner, but neither team could add to the score.
It meant Wrexham’s first pre-season run-out ended in a narrow loss, but with plenty for the new management team to digest after an encouraging performance.
Wrexham team: Lainton (Dibble 46), French (Will Mountfield 86), Trialist A (Reece Oliver 82), Brisley (Ollie Hitchcox 74), Trialist B (Joe Fountain 59), Jarvis (Kai Evans 63), Trialist C (Trialist D 63), J.Davies (Tom Jenkins 63), Green (Dan Davies 65), Angus (Mullin 59), Bickerstaff (Hyde 59)