Wrexham Youth 2
Accrington Stanley U18 0
Football League Youth Alliance (North West Conference)

Match Report

Wrexham registered back-to-back wins for the first time this season as they beat Accrington Stanley in a game which ultimately hinged on two missed penalties. With Bobby Beaumont and Scott Butler fresh from Welsh Schoolboy U18 international duty, Jamie Nash and Luke Uray reverted to the bench as coach Dan Nolan opted to go with a more experienced line-up despite a superb 2-0 win at Carlisle the previous week.

After a rather timid first 15 minutes the game sprang to life when Wrexham keeper Ben Tinkley had to be alert to save an effort from Accrington centre-back Jack Evans. Within sixty seconds the ball had found its way into the Stanley penalty-area where an unfortunate bounce saw it hit the hand of Matty Williams leaving the referee with little option but to point to the spot.

Cameron McGregor took the resultant penalty only to see his shot to the keeper’s right superbly parried by Liam Sherwood. In the goalmouth scramble that followed Sherwood then bravely denied Calum Huxley at point blank range before Jack Thorn finally rifled the loose ball into the net to give the Young Reds the lead. With the visitors a constant threat at set-pieces, Wrexham had an element of good fortune to enter the interval ahead when the unfortunate Williams came close to restoring parity with a header that crashed against the crossbar.

The second period saw Wrexham enjoy more of the play and the impressive Sherwood had to be alert to save from Calum Huxley on 49 minutes, Jake Bickerstaff seeing a follow up effort cleared off the line. Max Cleworth then went close with a header from a Matty Sargent free-kick before Bickerstaff saw a smart back-header saved by Sherwood.

The growing Wrexham pressure brought its reward on 65 minutes when Bickerstaff was unceremoniously brought down by Williams in the box for penalty number two. This time it was Sargent who stepped up to take it, his fierce low drive bringing another stunning two-handed parry from the Stanley custodian before Jack Evans inexplicably rifled the ball into his own net. It was an own-goal worthy of a far greater audience and ensured the points would going to the home side.
Sadly for the young defender his afternoon got even worse in injury-time when he received a second booking for a silly challenge on substitute Patrick Jones.