GRANT PAYS OFF IN WIN
WREXHAM...........................2 BARROW...............................1
WREXHAM opened their National League campaign with a come-frombehind win over Barrow at the Racecourse.
The Dragons trailed at the interval after Josh Granite glanced home Lewis Hardcastle’s wicked free-kick, before second half goals from JJ Hooper, who then turned provider to set up Bobby Grant for the winner.
Despite trying a 3-4-3 formation during the summer, Bryan Hughes opting to start with a 4-2-3-1 line up with JJ Hooper as the loan man up top, Luke Summerfield and Luke Young as the holding duo with Bobby Grant, Devonte Redmond and Mark Harris slightly ahead.
As predicted earlier in the week, last season’s player of the season Rob Lainton was missing after failing to shake off an ankle injury suffered before returning to pre-season, offering Christian Dibble the chance to start.
Barrow boss Ian Evatt named two former Wrexham players in his starting XI, Scott Quigley, who spent half a season on loan at the Racecourse, leading the line, with midfielder John Rooney also in the line-up.
Wrexham failed to get started in the opening exchanges of the contest and were rightly behind inside the opening 15 minutes, even if it was via an
uncharacteristic means. The best Wrexham offered was a deep cross from Mark Carrington which was just too high for Hooper, but that was about as good as it got early on, Dior Angus getting free at the other end, his shot deflected wide for a corner, before the visitors took the lead.
A viciously whipped in free-kick from Lewis Hardcastle was met by Josh Granite, the centre-half having run free to glance a header into the bottom corner.
Wrexham desperately needed a quick response, or at least the means to find a foothold in proceedings, Harris should have done better as he raced onto Grant’s throughball, the forward firing way wide when well placed, before Redmond saw a powerful goalbound effort blocked for a corner, from which referee Richard Hulme judged Shaun Pearson to have fouled Jason Taylor.
And the home side should have been back on level terms on the half hour mark, Young switching place to Carrington on the wing, the right-back beating his man and delivering a perfectly weighted cross for Hooper, the Dragons’ striker fluffing his lines and scuffing his effort wide of the mark.
But while it should have been 1-1 at one, Barrow equally missed as gilt edged a chance at the other, a Dragons corner cleared to Patrick Brough on the edge of his box, the left-back embarking on a mazy run to the edge of the Wrexham area, before unleashing Angus, who saw his effort blocked by Dibble.
And it perhaps should a have been three soon after as Josh Kay found space, Carrington getting back to make a stunning last gasp tackle, the ball falling to Quigley, who fluffed his effort and allowed the Dragons to clear. Wrexham needed a fast start after the break and they got the perfect opening to the second half, James Jennings heading Summerfield’s deep cross back across goal for an unmarked Hooper to convert.
Harris saw a powerful drive tipped over the top by the previously worryingly underworked Joel Dixon as Wrexham began to get on top, Redmond having a greater influence, while Summerfield saw a free kick just past the post after Harris was felled by Brad Barry in a dangerous position.
The Dragons were in the ascendancy and took a deserved lead little after the hour mark, Grant getting above Brough at the back post to head home Hooper’s cross, the Dragons striker doing brilliantly to hold off Granite and dig out a centre.