Wrexham 0 Bristol City 2

12th August 2000: Nationwide League Division Two

Reds Suffer At Hands of Ref

The pre-season optimism of Wrexham’s fans was dealt a blow by this opening day home defeat, but extenuating circumstances meant that the Robins were hardly flattered by the scoreline. While there was no doubting the quality of the Bristol City side which Danny Wilson has assembled, the home side put up a spirited display in an entertaining match, and might well have emerged victorious were it not for some cruel refereeing decisions. Darwen-based referee Tony Leake’s interventions sparked fury from Brian Flynn, who spent a long time in the referee’s room after the match demanding explanations for a number of controversial decisions, all of which favoured the visitors.

The storm began as early as the fourth minute when debutant Hector Sam had a goal disallowed. Having tapped in a corner which on-loan keeper Alan Miller dropped at the near post, Sam celebrated in an absence of Bristol protests, but the referee had already blown for a foul which proved hard to detect on HTV’s replays. Indeed, there was nobody within a yard of the keeper as he spilled the ball!

Cruelly, City were in the lead within four minutes of this incident. A diagonal ball over the top split Brian Carey and Mark McGregor, allowing Tony Thorpe to muscle his way through and plant a shot beyond the helpless Kristian Rogers, who had been a surprise inclusion ahead of Kevin Dearden. Rogers had to come to the rescue shortly afterwards, when Carey hit a blind backpass straight to Thorpe, but the young keeper did well to stay on his feet and force the striker wide. Unable to shoot, he had to cross, and Carey blocked Lee Peacock before an open goal.

Wrexham responded well to these shocks, though, and sought to exploit their newfound width as the half progressed, Brian Flynn having ditched his usual formation to play 4-4-2 with Michael Blackwood particularly prominent down the left. Hector Sam’s pace also troubled Mark Lever at the heart of City’s defence, while Faulconbridge enjoyed a good deal of success in the air. However, Miller regained his composure to make a couple of sharp saves, not least from a point blank Carey header from Darren Ferguson’s corner, and a couple of loud shouts for a penalty were turned down, most notably when Ivan Testimitanu held Faulconbridge back as he attacked another fumbled cross.

City were fortunate to finish the half with eleven men, as Darren Dunning, on loan from Blackburn and already booked, hacked Gareth Owen from behind and would surely have received a booking had he not been carrying a yellow card already. They continued to ride their luck in the second period: goalscorer Tony Thorpe launched himself into an appalling foul on Lee Roche, taking the youngster just below the knee from behind. It looked a certain red card, but the referee merely administered a yellow. Danny Wilson wisely withdrew his striker three minutes later, but in the interim he had made a significant contribution to City’s second goal. After Murray had burst past McGregor and crossed from the right, Rogers seemed to be clearly barged as he sought to punch clear, and Thorpe nodded the loose ball back for Paul Holland to head home. A third apparent red card was not administered when Lewis Carey was the instigator in a fight with Gareth Owen which ended with the Welshman being grabbed by the throat and thrown to the floor. Punishment seemed certain for both men, but again the referee seemed to decide against it as Carey was already on a booking.

Wrexham had started the half brightly, Faulconbridge missing from a tight angle a foot out after Blackwood had chipped a tempting cross to the far post, but the second goal rather knocked the stuffing out of them. City were able to control the tempo of the match, pressing energetically in all areas of the pitch and controlling the pace superbly through midfield, where Brian Tinnion’s composure on the ball and ability to switch play to the excellent Murray was the game’s outstanding feature.

The Reds managed to create a couple of clear-cut chances in the last five minutes, Sam heading weakly at Miller from six yards out when Faulconbridge’s nod down should perhaps have been volleyed, and Owen failing to capitalise when a quick Ferguson free kick sent him clear. If either of those had gone in they would have set up a storming finish, but Wrexham’s post-match regrets focussed not so much on missed opportunities as the performance of the referee.

WREXHAM (4-4-2): Rogers; Roche, Carey (c), Roberts, McGregor; Gibson, Ferguson, Owen, Blackwood; Faulconbridge, Sam. UNUSED SUBS: Dearden, Ridler, Williams, Chalk, Morrell.

BRISTOL CITY (4-4-2): Miller; Testimitanu, Lever, Carey, Bell; Murray (Spencer 77), Dunning, Holland (c), Tinnion; Thorpe (Goodridge 62), Peacock. UNUSED SUBS: Malessa, Lavin, Hill.

Referee: A. Leake (Darwen)

Attendance: 5,852 (Away Support 1.847)

Reaction: Brian Flynn

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