Beavon hits target to give Hughes’ reign lift-off
THE Bryan Hughes era at Wrexham kicked off with win, as the Dragons made it back-to-back wins in February.
Substitute Stuart Beavon fired home with little more than 15 minutes remaining to wrap up the victory, however unconvincing it might have been, and hand the newly installed manager a winning start to his reign.
Hughes made four changes from the starting XI that broke a five match losing run with victory against Maidenhead United a fortnight earlier, that match proving to be Graham Barrow’s last in charge of the Dragons.
In came Ben Tollitt, Luke Young, Bobby Grant and Cole Stockton in place of Paul Rutherford, Luke Summerfield, Rekeil Pyke and Beavon.
If Wrexham had been boosted by the change of manager in the week it did not show in the opening exchanges of an insipid first half of football.
Neither side were able to exert any kind of dominance, Wrexham enjoy- ing plenty of possession, yet lacking the cutting edge to fashion any chances.
The game did spring into life in the final embers of the first half, Grant seeing a powerful drive superbly tipped onto the bar by Elliott Justham, Tollitt seeing a follow up, after Young kept the ball alive, blocked for a corner.
Young saw shot blocked after a powerful run into the box within minutes of the restart,
Hughes had seen enough and made a double change just before the hour mark, sending on Beavon and Rutherford in place of Stockton and Grant.
Wrexham finally took a lead they had for so long looked incapable of finding. A run and cross from Jennings was met by Young at the back post, Justham somehow keeping out the midfielder’s effort, but unable to stop Beavon’s powerful follow up.
Akil Wright missed two glorious chances to have sown up the points with more than 10 minutes remaining, first acrobatically firing a volley straight into the hands of Justham before then sending an effort over the top from close range shortly after.