Confident... but we must sharpen up
ON Sunday morning, I boarded the Flyer for Wrexham feeling positive that it was going to be our day, our season, our championship, today was going to be the day. Everyone thought so, the positivity on the coach was so upbeat, it was infectious.
Revenge for the Trophy defeat, two fingers up to the Welsh and goodbye to non-league football.
The police had insisted that all the coaches (I think there were seven) met at Chester services on the M56 for a “convoy” to the ground and thanks to the Heddlu and their less than perfect organization, we only just made it, a huge queue outside, no chance of finding our designated seats, no problem – the lads are coming out to a raucous applause from both sets of supporters.
An hour and a half of football later and the mood was decidedly different.
A 3-0 loss to our nearest rivals meant more doom and gloom, more sleepless nights and more nerves than should be necessary.
We started well and for half an hour the game was ours for the taking, the problem was that in front of goal we struggled again.
Sarcevic twice, Madden, Quigley and Hippolyte all had glorious chances to not only score but to put the game out of reach.
The Welshmen hardly got out of their half such was our dominance, the home crowd was the more nervous but on the half hour that all changed.
A simple corner and we’re a goal down, not only that but our heads dropped, we lost our composure, our shape.
They then bagged a second right on the stroke of half time and the game’s gone!
Time for some Chally magic.
Connor Jennings came on for Quigs but there was no upturn in our fortune as within a minute of the re-start Wrexham had added a third.
It looked to me like their free kick simply drifted into our net as everyone just stood and watched it.
We were crying out for some pace as it was obvious to all that Paddy, even though he never stopped trying, was on his second legs, Crankshaw came on for Rydel and initially his link up play with Newby looked like it might pay dividends but the home defense simply kicked anyone in a white shirt until the final whistle.
Our destiny is still very firmly in our own hands, with a win in our game in hand this Wednesday against Torquay we’ll be back on top but still in need of a solitary point against Halifax next Sunday.
Gary Johnson worries me, as does Matty Warburton but I still have confidence in the team and I think we can do it but there has to be a marked improvement in front of goal, there has to be.