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REPORT | (Pre-Season) Wrexham AFC 3-1 Manchester United

Red Dragons win Snapdragon Cup in front of stadium-record crowd

26 July 2023

Match Reports

REPORT | (Pre-Season) Wrexham AFC 3-1 Manchester United

Red Dragons win Snapdragon Cup in front of stadium-record crowd

26 July 2023

Wrexham beat a young Manchester United team in front of a stadium-record crowd at the Snapdragon Stadium to claim the Snapdragon Cup.

Elliot Lee opened the scoring before Aaron Hayden headed in Wrexham’s second, only for Marc Jurado to pull a goal back on the stroke of half-time.

After Dan Gore was sent off just after the break, however, Sam Dalby scored his first goal of the US Tour to seal victory.

There was one negative, however, with Paul Mullin having been taken to hospital in the first half after suffering a punctured lung due to a reckless challenge by United goalkeeper Nathan Bishop.

Ben Tozer, Max Cleworth, Anthony Forde, Liam McAlinden and Callum McFadzean all came into the starting line-up for the game.

There were just 12 minutes on the clock when Mullin got in over the top and headed the ball beyond Bishop, only for the keeper to clatter the Wrexham striker on the edge of the area.

Perhaps swayed by it being early in the friendly, the referee only gave Bishop a yellow card as a long delay ensued while Mullin received treatment.

Though he was eventually able to walk off, with an oxygen mask, the striker was taken to hospital where it was confirmed he had suffered a small puncture to the lung.

Billy Waters was the man to replace Mullin, and Tom O’Connor curled the subsequent free-kick over the bar.

Wrexham responded well to losing their talisman, however, and Ollie Palmer and Lee linked up well before the latter’s fierce shot was beaten clear by Bishop.

The Red Dragons broke the deadlock on 29 minutes, however, when McAlinden cut inside from the right and crossed left-footed. The ball was just too high for Palmer, but Lee was there to steer the ball in at the back post.

All three centre-backs then combined for Wrexham’s second goal on 36 minutes – Tozer throwing in, Cleworth heading on at the near post and Hayden nodding in at the back to double the lead.

With five minutes added on due to Mullin’s injury, United finished the half well however, and were rewarded when Jurado rifled the ball in from close range on the stroke of half-time.

Wrexham made wholesale changes at the break, with only Waters remaining on the field for the second-half.

United were down to ten men just two minutes after the restart, when Gore went in recklessly on Andy Cannon.

Jordan Davies headed goalwards on 54 minutes when a cross was only half-cleared, but the second-half lacked the tempo of the first as Wrexham exerted control with the extra man.

Dalby sealed victory on 69 minutes though. He received the ball and spread it wide to Jacob Mendy, who returned the favour by floating a left-footed cross for the striker to head in at the back post.

It could have got even better for Wrexham too, as Bryce Hosannah advanced forward to race onto a long ball on 79 minutes, but substitute keeper Vitek was out quick to charge down.

Five minutes later Mendy pulled the ball back for Davies in the area, but the midfielder’s low shot was blocked.

Tozer was presented with the Snapdragon Cup after the game, as Wrexham took the applause of the vocal, San Diego crowd.

Line-ups: Foster (Howard 46), Forde (Barnett 46), Hayden (Hosannah 46), Tozer (O’Connell 46), Cleworth (Boyle 46), McFadzean (Mendy 46), O’Connor (Cannon 46), McAlinden (J.Davies 46), Lee (Jones 46), Mullin (Waters 19), Palmer (Dalby 46)


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