Red Dragons too hot to handle for Whitaker’s men
THREE headed goals from Ollie Palmer, Aaron Hayden and Tom O’Connor, and a calculated James Jones scuff would hand Phil Parkinson’s men a valuable outing against Macclesfield FC.
Palmer’s flicked header was doubled by James Jones’ genius scuff to give Wrexham a two-goal lead at half time.
More headed goals from Hayden and O’Connor in the second half led to a four-goal victory for the Red Dragons, as players gained precious minutes on the field.
New signings Mark Howard, Anthony Forde and Jordan Tunnicliffe all got outings in front of their new spectators at the Racecourse.
Just one week until the start of the league campaign against Eastleigh, the Wrexham players paraded the new home kit; ‘The Red One.’
It was a similar eleven to what the Wrexham faithful are used to, but with two of the newest signings in Howard and Forde both starting.
Four thousand fans bore witness to this preseason friendly; an impressive feat for a noncompetitive game.
Patient play from debutant Forde allowed him to cut inside and set Jones in the eighth minute. The midfielder then quickly slotted through Palmer whose hot shot cannoned off Marcelo Pitaluga’s near-post.
Pandemonium erupted in the box in the eleventh minute, as a cross skidded off Palmer’s head before being sliced by Hayden. The ball then fell to Max Cleworth in the goalmouth and his instinctive shot was saved by the sprawling Pitaluga.
The subsequent corner was taken by captain Luke Young and an onrunning Palmer made sure he had purchase on this header, as he guided it into the farpost to open the scoring for Wrexham.
A darting Forde run down the right-wing didn’t impair his ability to chip a ball to the back post, where a jumping McFadzean couldn’t quite steer his header on target on the half hour mark.
Paul Mullin was slotted through in the 33rd minute and did not hesitate to slam an effort on goal from 16 yards, but Pitaluga matched this and palmed his shot out. Jones was first to react, using all his ability to direct the ball into the far corner, whilst off-balance, wrongfooting a charging Pitaluga at the near-post.
Macclesfield’s first real effort came four minutes before half-time, when Laurent Mendy attempted to drill an effort into Howard’s right corner, only for the ball to fizz wide.
Half-time was called and Wrexham entered the tunnel two goals to the good, courtesy of a Palmer header and a purposeful Jones scuff.
Cleworth is known to have a long-ranged effort in his arsenal and he attempted this just two minutes after the break, but the ball bounced invitingly into Pitaluga’s arms.
The large volume of crosses would have been a delight for Hayden and he did inevitably eat one up in the 50th minute, when he calmly headed home a Young cross.
O’Connor added a third headed goal to the overall tally, as he guided in a Mullin cross from the right-wing to make it 4-0 in the 63rd minute.
Howard misdirected a pass in the 76th minute to James Berry right on the edge of his box, but the keeper made amends by safely catching a bending shot directed at his far corner.
As Mullin craved a goal, he attempted to curl an outrageous effort from the right-wing in the 85th minute, leading to the ball narrowly evading Pitaluga’s
far corner.
The final whistle blew and Wrexham’s afternoon was greeted with a standing applause from the pleased spectators, as they convincingly eased past Macclesfield FC four goals to the good.
(3-5-2): Howard (GK), Forde (McAlinden 70’), Hayden (Tunnicliffe 82’), Tozer, Cleworth, McFadzean, O’Connor, Young (C), J.Jones, Mullin Palmer (Bickerstaff 85’). Subs not used: Dibble (GK), Lennon, Hosannah, Davies, Angus
WREXHAM: MACCLESFIELD:
(4-2-3-1) Pitaluga (GK), Manson (Pemberton 70’), Lee, (Grimshaw 70’) Fensome, Trialist A, Mendy, Kengni (Kiwomya 65’), Danns (Cowan 80’), Clare (Owens 65’), Curran (Bower 77’), Berry. Subs not used: Byrne (GK)
REFEREE: ATTENDANCE: WREXHAM BOOKINGS: MACCLESFIELD BOOKINGS:
Lee Evans
4,076 (152 away) None Tom
Clare 16’ (foul)
MAN OF THE MATCH:
Luke Young