United’s youngsters made it a club hat-trick of victories against Wrexham this season as they followed up the success of the reserve and first-team in clinching wins against the Welsh outfit.
The young Blues started well and were making chances just two minutes in as Pete Ferris made good room for himself on the edge of the box and shot narrowly wide of the Red Dragons’ goal.
On ten minutes the Wrexham number six playing in midfield picked the ball up on the edge of the box but his driven shot went straight into the arms of the impressive Adam Bradley in the United goal. Bradley again had a good game for the Blues between the sticks as he organised his back-line well and looked confident under pressure.
Only two minutes later United took the lead through midfielder Paul Gardiner. Martin Graham worked the ball well on the right-wing and crossed a good ball to the far-post where Shaun Vipond was lurking. Vipond could only slice his attempted shot back across goal where, after the Wrexham defence failed to clear, the ball fell to Gardiner who hit a low deflected shot into the bottom corner which the keeper just failed to stop.
The Blues were well on top and were unlucky not to go ahead two minutes later. The ball was hit long over the top by Dan Kirkup and fell to United striker Pete Ferris who took the ball well and lobbed the onrushing keeper only to see the ball bounce off the top of the bar and over.
The game swung from end to end for a short spell after that as the Wrexham number six shot well wide, Andy Hardman had a couple of off-target snap-shots for the Blues and Bradley came out well to block at the feet of the Red Dragons’ striker from an incisive through ball.
On 26 minutes United were again pressing for a second goal. Hardman, playing in an unaccustomed role on the right side of midfield was fouled out wide and James Earl lined up to take the set-piece. Earl swung the ball in and although Hardman missed the initial header the ball fell to Ferris on the edge of the box who smashed his shot straight into the Wrexham keeper’s midriff.
Two minutes later United momentarily had their second goal until it was ruled out by the whistle of an inconsistent referee. Earl played a corner to the near-post which Kirkup met with a thumping header but as the ball hit the back of the net the official blew for an innocuous foul by Gardiner on the keeper.
Ferris had a couple of pot-shots shortly after, one being deflected wide and the other easily saved by the keeper, but from then on it was all Wrexham for a ten-minute spell.
On 38 minutes, Matty Bell gave the ball away on the edge of his own box to the Wrexham number ten. The Red Dragons’s striker ran in on goal but Bradley closed him down well to save at his feet and as United failed to clear the ball fell to the number ten again but he fluffed a half-chance, dribbling a weak shot into the arms of the United keeper.
Two minutes later the otherwise impressive United left-back, Matthew Blake, gave away a needless free-kick on the edge of the box. The Wrexham number five came up from his centre-half position to blast the set-piece but his left-footed effort was easily blocked by the United wall.
The young Blues tried to up it a gear after those scares as Rob Bainbridge ran in on goal from a Ferris through ball but the keeper did well and blocked his shot from a narrow angle out for a corner. Shortly before the interval Earl hit a shot from the edge of the Red Dragons’ box which Bainbridge got a touch on but the ball flew straight into the arms of the Wrexham keeper.
The half ended with the Wrexham number seven attempting to lob Bradley from the right edge of the box but his effort drifted wide and United’s youngsters went into the break with a well deserved 1-0 lead.
The young Blues came flying out of the blocks again and it took only three minutes for Gardiner to double his, and United’s tally, for the day. United left-back Matthew Blake hurled a long throw into the opposition box which the Wrexham defence struggled to clear their lines from. The ball eventually fell to Gardiner 18 yards out and the young midfielder hit a powerful, low right-foot shot across the keeper and into the far bottom corner to put United 2-0 ahead.
On 55 minutes came a yellow card for the Red Dragons as the Wrexham number four was booked for dissent following a foul by the number seven on Carlisle’s Shaun Vipond.
United had a sustained spell of pressure shortly after and could easily have extended their lead. On 60 minutes Bradley hit a long clearance which Bainbridge flicked-on but Ferris’ shot was pushed behind well for a corner. From the resultant set-piece Bell had a shot deflected wide and a minute later Kirkup and Hardman were just unable to connect with the ball at the back-post following a mix-up between the Wrexham keeper and his defence.
United looked dangerous at set-pieces throughout as Earl delivered some excellent balls into the box where Kirkup in particular continually put the nervy Wrexham keeper under pressure.
On 64 minutes Bradley hammered a huge free-kick from his own penalty area straight into the opposition box where Hardman was unlucky to see his flicked header expertly tipped over the bar by the Wrexham keeper. It was route one football at it’s best from United.
Two minutes later from a good cross out on the left delivered by Wrexham’s pacy and skillful left-winger the Red Dragons’ number seven connected with a back-post header which Bradley easily gathered.
After 68 minutes Earl sent Ferris racing through on the left-edge of the area but the United striker cracked his shot across the face of the goal and out for a goal-kick. Moments later Bell hammered an effort in on goal from 25 yards but it flew well over the Wrexham bar.
Wrexham kept having their moments as they tried to pull a goal back, and they thought they had done just that on 73 minutes but the effort was chalked out for offside. The Red Dragons had a won a free-kick on the edge of the United box for a foul by Earl and as the set-piece hit the wall and deflected through to the six-yard box the Wrexham number five had strayed into an offside position as he stroked the ball home into the net.
The game seemed to peter out in the last fifteen minutes as United sat back on their two goal lead and Wrexham looked to have realised the match had gone from them.
United almost made it three though on 83 minutes through Ferris. The ball was played ahead of the young striker and after another mix-up between the Wrexham keeper and his centre-half Ferris picked the ball up and lobbed it towards goal only to see it cleared away from the net by the head of the Red Dragons’ left-back.
The last half-chance of the game came three minutes from the end as the Wrexham number ten made room for himself well on the right edge of the United box and curled a left-footer towards the far corner. Bradley saw the shot coming though and dived across well to push the ball away to safety and preserve United’s 2-0 victory.
So, a great win for the lads today and the best team performance I have seen so far from them. They worked hard for each other and moving Andy Hardman to right-midfield and putting Pete Ferris upfront gave them better attacking options. Both looked better suited in those positions and mention must also go to Adam Bradley who was excellent again in goal and Matthew Blake who had a solid game at left-back.
United line-up :
Adam Bradley, Martin Graham, Matthew Blake, Matty Bell, Dan Kirkup, Shaun Vipond (Richard Hoban 82), Paul Gardiner, James Earl, Andy Hardman (Gary Baker 86), Pete Ferris, Rob Bainbridge.
Unused subs : Ashley Combe, Martin Stewart, Connor Grant (GK).
Other results in the division :
Burnley 2-1 Walsall
Macclesfield 3-0 Shrewsbury
Port Vale 4-1 Oldham
Preston 1-1 Stockport
Rochdale 0-0 Chester
Tranmere 3-0 Blackpool
Wigan 2-2 Bury
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