Wrexham AFC Women take on Northop Hall Ladies in an historic encounter on Sunday – the team’s first ever match at the Racecourse Ground.
As supporters return to the Racecourse Ground for the first time, interim manager Steven Dale takes charge of the team for the final team before handing the reins to newly appointed boss Mari Edwards.
A day of firsts
After an upturn in form since Dale took temporary charge, Wrexham AFC Women will be looking to continue their recent resurgence as they prepare for an historic day. Reformed in 2018, this will be the team’s first ever appearance at the Racecourse Ground.
For the first time since March 2020, there will be supporters in attendance at the ground too, and the team will also be donning the new red TikTok-sponsored home shirts for the first time.
On the pitch, new signings Del Morgan and Rosie Hughes make their first official appearances for the team since their signings were confirmed – though both have played on trial.
Chance to impress
New manager Mari Edwards will be in attendance at the game, casting her eye over her new team for the first time. Steven Dale takes charge of the side, who will look to build on their performance in a dominant 11-0 win against an inexperienced Prees United last week.
Lauren Reese has been in fine goalscoring form, scoring ten times in seven friendly games so far, including four last weekend. Teenager Libby Mackenzie, back at Wrexham after a spell in the FAW Academy and at Welsh Women’s Premier League side Cyncoed, has also caught the eye.
New signing Rosie Hughes – who has already played (and scored) on trial this summer – will make her official Wrexham AFC Women debut.
We’ve Met Before
The most recent meeting between the two teams was little more than a month ago – a match which proved to be Luke Wynne’s final game in charge. A defensive lapse on the stroke of half-time proved the difference, as Northop Hall claimed a narrow 1-0 win.
Wrexham had previously beaten Northop Hall in November 2020, one of the few games the team managed between lockdowns last season. On that occasion, Amy Glendenning, Lauren Reese and Jodie Richards were all on target.
Team News
Ahead of his final match in interim charge, Steven Dale has had to cope with a defensive headache ahead of the team’s Racecourse debut. Centre-backs Erin Lovett and Megan Buckley, and full-back Shannon Owen are all absent.
Captain Abbey Hughes also faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines as she awaits knee surgery, but the centre-back will lead the team in what is likely to be her final appearance for some time. Mexican striker Carmen Reyes, who has just had knee surgery, is a long-term absentee.
New signings Del Morgan and Rosie Hughes will make their official debuts, having previously been on trial.
Keep Up
Keep up with full coverage via our match centre, with live text commentary, match pictures and more. Live commentary will be available from 1:45pm on Mixlr, and you can follow @WrexhamAFCWomen on Twitter for match updates too. Post-match reaction will be available on YouTube.