Jack Marriott’s four-minute hat-trick inspired victory against a youthful Salford City Reserves side in the Central League at the STōK Cae Ras.
The 29-year-old striker set the tone with three smart finishes inside the opening exchanges, as Reserve team Manager Dave Jones named a highly experienced side.
Sam Dalby’s double added to an already impressive lead, before Jordan Tunnicliffe and Jordan Davies wrapped up the win late in the second half.
There were nine regular members of the first-team squad in the starting lineup, with Club Captain Ben Tozer at the heart of the defence and James McClean occupying one of the wing back positions.
The Ammies, despite the scoreline, continued to battle away throughout the 90 minutes.
It was a quick-fire start as Marriott opened the scoring after just two minutes, when he latched onto the end of Jordan Davies’ swept cross and headed past the outstretched Joel Torrance.
He doubled the advantage and his tally one minute later, as he shifted the ball onto his right foot before unleashing a strike from 20 yards out which nestled into the bottom corner.
Marriott then completed his hat-trick in the fourth minute as Callum McFadzean played him in unmarked and the forward slotted the ball home.
Despite the deficit, the Ammies stuck to their structure and played their way into the contest with Jez Davies’ strike being saved by Mark Howard.
Ruben Butt had a chance to reduce the Red Dragons’ lead as he broke past McClean but fired straight at the Wrexham stopper.
However, the Reds’ experience told, as Sam Dalby scored a quick-fire double before the 20 minute mark to increase the lead.
The first saw the striker create space on the edge of the penalty area and he took the ball past Torrance and into the bottom corner.
His second came in the 19th minute as he used his strength to hold off Jacob Lara before bursting into the penalty area and converting into the bottom corner.
The Ammies were rewarded for their resilience moments later as just after Liam Humbles fired wide, Jez Davies smashed the ball past Howard to claw one back for the visitors.
Jones’ side looked to increase the advantage in the 47th minute as Marriott found the back of the net, but he was judged to be offside by the linesman.
City continued to pick up from where they ended the first half and played out of their progressive structure finding space between the lines of the Wrexham defence.
They were unlucky to not score again as Djavan Dedko found space inside the penalty area unmarked and headed just wide of Howard’s goal.
The Red Dragons scored a sixth in the 65th minute as Ben Tozer’s leaping header found Jordan Tunnicliffe, who nodded home at the back post.
Dalby had a golden opportunity to claim his hat-trick late in the half as McFadzean was brought down inside the area, but the striker fired wide of the post.
Jones opted to use all five substitutes, providing valuable experience for the Academy players in the squad.
Their involvement was capped off as Harry Ashfield’s mazy run and through ball was met by Jordan Davies, who rounded off the victory by tapping the ball home.
Wrexham AFC: Howard (GK), Hayden (Dean 71’), Tozer ©, Tunnicliffe, Ashfield, O’Connor (Moore 61’), J.Davies, McClean (Rainbird 61’), McFadzean, Dalby (Edwards 81’), Marriott (Hayman 81’)
Yellow Cards: Jordan Davies (40’)
Salford City: Torrance (GK), Ingram, Curran-Nichlos, Lara, Collins, Humbles, Bairstow, Malcom, Davies, Butt (Cucos 46’), Dedko
Subs not used: Ramplin, Oloude, Mundy, O’Gara
