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29 April 2023 Venue Plainmoor Attendance

Kick off 17:30 (UK)

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Match Previews

PREVIEW | Torquay United v Wrexham

The final game of the greatest season has arrived.

27 April 2023

Have you recovered from last Saturday yet? Phil Parkinson's side need to have recuperated from a memorable weekend to be ready for the long trip down to Devon as the champions round off the season.

The 3-1 win over Boreham Wood last Saturday clinched the title, of course, so the main issue at stake for Wrexham is a chance to extend our record points total to 113. There were no obvious injury issues arising from the match, so it will be interesting to see whether Parkinson continues with a similar team or gives starts to some of the players who have waited patiently on the sidelines in recent weeks.

Having relegated Yeovil Town a week and a half ago, sadly the same fate could await our hosts. Torquay United have been involved in a remarkable attempt to escape from relegation, having seemed doomed for much of the season. Five consecutive wins at the start of the month breathed hope into what looked like a lost cause, but a crushing 5-1 loss at Chesterfield abruptly ended that run, and an 89th minute penalty equaliser for Altrincham last Saturday means only a couple of surprising results can save United now.

A win in this match would put The Gulls level with Maidenhead or York if either of them lose, but the shift in goal difference required to survive should that scenario unfol is unlikely. It's perfectly feasible that York could ship some goals away to the remarkable Notts County side which pushed us so hard, but surely a 14-goal turnaround is not going to happen. Maidenhead face a difficult trip to a Gateshead side whose strong finish to the season - they've won 7 of their last 11 games and reached the FA Trophy Final- has taken them well clear of danger. However, they'll expect to be able to defend a 7-goal advantage should they finish level on points with Torquay.

The Gulls dipped into the bottom four in October and have remained there ever since. At the end of March they were 9 points short of safety, but consecutive wins over Boreham Wood, Scunthorpe United, Eastleigh, Maidenhead United and York City suddenly made survival a real possibility. The cruel conclusion to Saturday's match made that a long shot, and a sense of disappointed realism has naturally descended on the club.

Manager Gary Johnson told BBC Radio Devon that this match is 'a chance to thank the fans and apologize for us being in the bottom-four'.

“It’s sad, but the club’s strong, it’s gone down before and it can come back up. We have had disappointment and we’ll try and get over it because that’s what you’re in football to do.

“You have good days and bad days, unfortunately we didn’t get enough results earlier on to support this team that we’ve got at the moment.

"We are gutted for the club, the players and our supporters and my staff. We've got our team together in the last seven or eight games. We used the last day of the transfer window to bring in some good players. You couldn't get them earlier. It was a shame that we didn't have longer with that group of players.

Although 2 crucial points were dropped, Johnson was proud of his players once more, after a game which seemed to revolve around skipper Asa Hall. 

"We came from 1-0 down, and I thought the boys put in a fantastic stint to go 2-1 up. Asa has been our Captain Fantastic and he scored two great goals, and obviously he was unlucky to give the penalty away, and that killed us. "They had nothing to lose at 2-1, and we were trying to get the third one for the goal-difference.

"I don't think it's mathematically over, but of course we've got a top team in Wrexham in the last game. It is what it is.  We've just got to make sure that we have our disappointment and we try and get over it, because that's what you're in football to do."

The club is strong.  It's gone down before, and it can come back up.

- Gary Johnson, Torquay United manager.

Hall has been a consistent performer in the heart of the action for Torquay, and there's another player whose performances have belied the side's league position up front. Aaron Jarvis has certainly stepped up to the plate in Torquay's hour of need. He became the first Gulls player to score two hat tricks in a season when he fired three past York City a fortnight ago, to add to his treble against Aldershot in November: between them, he and Paul Mullin account for nearly a third of all hat tricks in the National League this season. Jarvis has fired in 15 goals this season, which is even more impressive when you realise that he didn't get his first until October! 

LAST TIME WE MET

24/9/22 Wrexham 6 (Davies 11, Mullin 29, Palmer 42, Hayden 72, Dalby 80, Forde 90) Torquay United 0

Wrexham Howard, Forde, Hayden, Tozer, Cleworth, Mendy (McFadzean 23), Young, Jones, Davies, Mullin (Lee 75’, Palmer (Dalby 79) Unused subs: Watson, Tunnicliffe

Torquay United Halstead, Crowe, Donnellan (Tomlinson 76), Marshall, Omar, Martin, Hall, Smith (McGavin 75), Evans, Goodwin, Jarvis Unused subs: Lovett, Lapslie, Wyatt

Bookings: Jarvis 78’

Attendance: 9,970 (Away: 155)

HEAD TO HEAD

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We walloped The Gulls 6-0 earlier in the season, but they have the upper hand when we make the long trip south.

We enjoyed a memorable 3-0 win there in 2015 which sent us through to the final of the FA Trophy, with Louis Moult scoring first and Kieran Morris adding two more, and won 1-0 at Plainmoor the following season through a late Mark Carrington goal, but they’re our only wins at Torquay in our last 16 games there.

Before then our most recent win was secured in April 1990 through an Andy Thackeray goal as we successfully battled against relegation to the fifth tier.

Last season we only took one point from United. They pooped the party when Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds attended their first match at The Racecourse by equalising after Harry Lennon's early opener and earning a draw, and went one better in the return match, winning 1-0 at Plainmoor.

The season before, we were hoping to mount a challenge for the play-offs, while Torquay were  top of the table. We fell 2-0 behind by the 17th minute, and although Theo Vassell swiftly pulled one back, we ended up losing 3-1. A couple of key decisions by the referee didn't go our way, but in truth that didn't affect the outcome as the better side won.

October 2019 saw us spurn a number of chances before United struck the only goal in the early stages of the second half.

In September 2017 we travelled south full of confidence as 3 consecutive wins had seen us into 3rd place, but a badly wind-affected match ended in a drab 0-0 draw.

We took an early lead through a beautifully-taken Gerry McDonagh goal in November 2016, and held that advantage until the 88th minute when United equalised through a corner.There was still time for late drama, though, as Paul Rutherford cut in from the right and curled a brilliant goal home, only for it to be disallowed for a border-line offside decision as Shaun Harrad was adjudged to be in the goalkeeper's line of vision.

We didn't realise it at the time, but we received a tantalising taste of things to come when Luke Young scored a remarkable 84th minute winner against us for Torquay in October 2014.

 

POTENTIAL MILESTONES

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Luke Young's 200th league game for Wrexham.
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James Jones' 100th Wrexham match.

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Max Cleworth's 50th league match for Wrexham.

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Match Reports

REPORT | Torquay United 1-1 Wrexham AFC

Our 15 years in the National League are over!

29 April 2023

National League champions Wrexham bid farewell to the fifth tier with a draw away to Torquay United, which confirmed the hosts’ relegation to the National League South.

Paul Mullin missed an early penalty in a first-half Wrexham dominated, only for Gulls’ keeper Mark Halstead to keep the scores level.

Frank Nouble then put Torquay in front against the run of play, but Lee tapped in late on to ensure Wrexham finished the season on a new record of 111 points.

Phil Parkinson named the starting XI which beat Boreham Wood a week ago, with just one change on the bench as Billy Waters replaced Jordan Davies.

It meant both Ben Tozer and Paul Mullin completed ever-present league seasons, having both started all 46 matches in the Vanarama National League.

Mullin was straight into the thick of the action too, when Ben Foster claimed a poor cross on three minutes and immediately released the striker over the top. Mullin skipped inside onto his right foot but dragged his shot wide.

Two minutes later, Mullin was presented with an even better chance to break the deadlock when Sam Dalby’s cross hit Nico Lawrence’s outstretched hand in the area. Mullin took the penalty, but Mark Halstead dived to his left and pushed the ball wide.

Torquay had Halstead to thank for keeping the scores level again in the seventh minute, when Eoghan O’Connell headed goalwards from a corner and the Gulls’ keeper did brilliantly to readjust and parry clear.

Ryan Barnett was next to try his luck, after Tom O’Connor’s inch-perfect crossfield pass provided him space to drive inside from the right on nine minutes, but he shot wide.

Frank Nouble headed goalwards for Torquay on 14 minutes, but straight at Ben Foster, and that proved to be just a brief respite for the hosts.

At the other end, Barnett’s intricate through ball released Mullin on the quarter-hour, but Halstead stuck out a boot to save well.

Five minutes later, Halstead once again came to Torquay’s rescue – this time clawing away Tom O’Connor’s 25-yard free-kick after Elliot Lee had been fouled.

Lee cut inside onto his right foot on 34 minutes, after Mullin teed him up, but got his shot all wrong as it flew high and wide.

Wrexham could not find a breakthrough, however, with the half ending goalless.

The Red Dragons continued where they left off after the break, however, and two minutes into the half Lee headed wide from Ryan Barnett’s cross.

A minute later, Mullin and Barnett exchanged passes but the latter’s shot was parried clear by Halstead again and the rebound deflected wide.

Torquay took the lead on 53 minutes, however, when Aaron Jarvis crossed from the right and Nouble tapped in from close-range.

Wrexham took a moment to regather themselves after the goal, but Mullin fed Dalby on 61 minutes and the striker’s shot was parried wide.

James Jones then released Mullin on the right with a well-weighted pass on 64 minutes, but his cross deflected into the side-netting with Halstead wrong-footed.

Asa Hall should have doubled Torquay’s lead on 65 minutes, however, but planted a free header wide.

Wrexham’s response was to bring on first Ollie Palmer and debutant Waters, and then Anthony Forde – Mullin, Dalby and then Barnett making way.

And Palmer provided the assist on 80 minutes, skipping away from Lawrence and crossing low for Lee to tap in the equaliser.

James Jones found space on the right two minutes later, and spotted Halstead off his line, but his floated effort dropped just over.

Forde’s 25-yard free-kick then deflected over on 84 minutes, and Andy Cannon volleyed well over when the resultant corner dropped to him.

Billy Waters had the ball in the net in stoppage time but was flagged for offside as Wrexham fans started chanting down the time remaining in the National League.

And when Ollie Palmer’s late cross-shot flashed wide across goal, referee Garreth Rhodes duly obliged – his full-time whistle marking the end of an extraordinary season.

Line-ups

Torquay United: Halstead, Donnellan, Lawrence, Moxey, Stobbs, Lapslie (McGavin 87), Hall, Dawson, Collins, Jarvis, Nouble

Subs: Omar, Evans, Wyatt, Lovett

Wrexham: Foster, O’Connell, Tozer, O’Connor, Bennett (Forde 76), J.Jones, Cannon, Mendy, Lee, Mullin (Palmer 67), Dalby (Waters 67)

Subs: Howard, Cleworth

Referee: Garreth Rhodes

Attendance:  4,908 (1,258 away)

Bookings:

Torquay: Dawson (58, dissent)

Wrexham: O’Connell (58, handball)

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Ticket News

TICKET NEWS | Torquay United (A) on sale to season-ticket holders from Monday April 3

Final game of league season on sale next week

31 March 2023

Tickets for our final league game of the 2022/23 season, away to Torquay United on Saturday April 29, will be on sale to season-ticket holders from 10am on Monday April 3

Season-ticket holders will be able to buy one ticket per account, which will be available FOR COLLECTION ONLY  from the Racecourse Ground.

We have been given paper tickets for this game, with Wrexham’s allocation of 1,391 split across seated tickets in Bristows Bench, standing tickets in the Wollens Terrace and nine pairs of tickets for wheelchair users.

Tickets will be priced as follows:

Standing

Adult                     £17
Concession           £15
Under 18              £10
Under 7                free with a paying adult

Seating

Adult                     £19
Concession          £17
Under 18              £10
Under 7                free with a paying adult

Tickets can be bought online from our eTicketing website, with the queue system in place online from 9.30am. Please note, logging on to our eTicketing website earlier will not guarantee you a place higher up the queue – the queue will automatically assign you a place when it opens based on the number of people on the site at that time. So, if there are 1,000 people on the site at 9.30am, you could be placed anywhere between 1-1,000 regardless of when you first logged into the website.

Queuing at the Ticket Office in person WILL NOT guarantee you a ticket for the game, and we advise all people to buy online wherever possible to avoid a wasted journey.

For instructions on how to ensure you have activated your eTicketing account and have the correct privileges attached, please see these instructions.

Supporters requiring accessible tickets should contact Wrexham AFC Disability Liaison Officer Kerry Evans, on kerry.evans@wrexhamafc.co.uk.

There will be no reprints or amends available once tickets have been purchased and there will be NO collections available from Torquay on the day.

We understand the demand for tickets for this game will be extremely high, and that fans will inevitably miss out on tickets. However, we’ve worked with Torquay to get the biggest allocation we could.

While we appreciate some fans may have booked travel and accommodation already, we urge any supporters without a ticket to not attend the game, and not attempt to buy in the home end – where away supporters will be ejected.

Should any tickets remain after the season-ticket holder’s priority window, tickets will be released to members at 10am on Wednesday April 5, and should tickets still remain, they will be made available for general sale from 10am on Friday April 7.

Official supporter travel

Official supporter travel will also be available for this game, via our eTicketing website. Coaches will depart from the Mold Road at 07:00 and will cost £36 for adults and £34 for under-16s.

Please note, under-14s must be accompanied on official supporter travel, and alcohol is strictly prohibited by law.

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