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2nd December 2000: Nationwide League Division Two

Missed Penalty and Squandered Late Chances Prove Costly

Wrexham were unable to prevent Peterborough from registering their sixth consecutive home victory despite an excellent start, and were left to look back with regret at a missed Darren Ferguson penalty in the first half and some spurned chances in the ninety-fifth minute as they returned to North Wales. Those late chances came when Carlos Edwards whipped in a far post cross which Craig Faulconbridge met firmly with his head, Mark Tyler saving well at the foot of his post, and when Emad Bouanane chipped the loose ball over the keeper into the goalmouth Andy Edwards executed a superb header over his own bar. From the corner, Brian Carey managed a flick on and Hector Sam’s diving header from point blank range went wide. The referee immediately blew for full time, but in all honesty Wrexham could have few complaints for although they had a good share of the play, the penalty and that late flurry were the only times Tyler was called into action, while at the other end Kevin Dearden performed heroics to keep United at bay.

The opening twenty-five minutes were an enthralling spectacle, with both sides looking to go forward at every opportunity, and the visitors looked the better side as they carved out a series of chances. Particularly prominent was Carlos Edwards, who found himself up against a makeshift left back in David Oldfield and sought to take full advantage of his good fortune. Darren Ferguson was also typically busy, and looked right at every opportunity to exploit this mismatch. In the first minute he hit a glorious early free kick to send Edwards away behind Oldfield, but the Trinidadian’s cross flew across the face of the goal without anyone being able to get to it, and when it was worked back out to the edge of the box, Chris Killen lashed a shot over the bar. Soon afterwards, Edwards squandered a three on two break with a weak pass to the overlapping Roche, and when he delivered an accurate cross after working a 1-2 with Martyn Chalk, Killen’s clever backheel rolled across the goal unconverted.

At the other end, United were sporadically dangerous. Dean Hooper was particularly dangerous on the overlap down the right, and an early break led to him whipping in a cross which McKenzie met with a free header six yards out which lacked power and was saved rather dramatically by Dearden.

The turning point of the first half came in the fifteenth minute. Chalk broke away from a United corner and tried to put Edwards through. Although Farrell got to the ball first, the winger nipped it from under his foot and raced clear on goal. His touch as he entered the box seemed heavy, but he managed to nick the ball past the lunging Tyler, hit the deck and ask for a dubious penalty. Graham Frankland, who has previously given the Reds controversial spot-kicks against Blackpool and Sheffield United, consented and brandished a yellow card at Tyler, but the keeper had the last laugh, diving to his left to save a Ferguson effort which lacked direction. United responded immediately, Brian Carey earning a booking as he halted an attack, then Hooper whipping in a cross which Jason Lee headed narrowly wide. That same combination nearly prospered when Carey’s error let the striker onto another of Hooper’s crosses, but a great last ditch tackle by Lee Roche ended the immediate danger, and when Lee tried a speculative overhead kick with the loose ball, Dearden caught it smartly over his head.

The match then fell into a ten minute lull, but it was roused by a lively burst from David Farrell. The highly-rated left winger had been quiet until the closing minutes of the half, but exploded into life when he took a pass from Forsyth and delivered an accurate cross to Lee, whose drive was brilliantly parried by Dearden, Moments later Carroll made a more rewarding burst, when he broke past Lee Roche, who picked up a yellow card as he pulled him back by the shirt. Forsyth swung the free kick to the far post, where McKenzie made contact with a looping header which found its way inside the far post. Edwards wasted a chance to snatch an equaliser at the end of the half when he dispossessed Oldfield to get round the back of the defence again, but picked out the first defender with his cross.

Wrexham failed to get their passing going as the second half resumed, although they were offered an early glimmer of hope when Tyler missed a punch as Ferguson drove a free kick across the goal. Owen’s form was a shadow of his previous two performances, and Edwards began to fade as the Robins struggled to bring form to their game and enjoy lengthy, threatening spells of possession. United, on the other hand, were fired up and providing good service from both flanks for the lively duo of Lee and McKenzie, both of whom were commanding in the air, although a weak header wide by McKenzie after a floating corner had found its way to the far post did not suggest so. Farrell was running rampant down the left, forcing Dearden into a good block as he raced past Roche and hit a rasping shot, then pulling a cross back which Hardy could only clear to Forsyth, but the left back made a terrific block when the midfielder seemed certain to score from the edge of the box. Then Farrell crossed to the near post, where Lee met the ball with a stooping header which brought an excellent tip-over from Dearden.

As time began to draw short, Wrexham threw on Hector Sam, thus ending Chris Killen’s loan spell, and gave Emad Bouanane a run on the left wing, and they began to show a bit more menace. Ferguson and Sam combined to send the Trinidadian into the box, and when he beat the keeper to a ball beyond the left post, he pulled a cross back into the goalmouth, where Faulconbridge set up Edwards for a shot which was blocked as Tyler scrambled back between the posts. Then Ferguson intercepted a poor Oldfield pass and gave Faulconbridge the chance to hit a cracking twenty yarder which dipped narrowly over the bar, and when Bouanane slotted the big striker in on the edge of the box he hit an instant shot which was deflected towards the opposite corner to that he was aiming for, trickling narrowly wide.

During this spell of pressure, United were lucky to retain eleven men, as Hooper, who had already been booked for a very late tackle on Ferguson which characterised a niggly game, committed a blatant body check on Bouanane as he raced clear down the wing, the referee seeing fit to penalise him merely with a free kick despite being quick to produce a card on five other occasions. They also retained a threat on the break as Wrexham pushed forward desperately, especially after Kevin Russell had replaced Hardy, leaving them a man short at the back. Substitute Andy Clarke turned his man well and drove a shot straight at Dearden when he ought to have done a lot better, and Rogers hit a fine drive from twenty yards which Dearden parried superbly, while at the other end there was an optimistic shout for handball against Shields in the box, Andy Edwards did well to halt Sam as he raced clear after a Faulconbridge flick, and as the game drew into injury time Faulconbridge glanced a Sam cross narrowly wide. The dramatic closing moments of injury time were to follow, but Wrexham couldn’t do enough to snatch a point, and were left to reflect on a game which could have had a very different outcome.

PETERBOROUGH UNITED (4-4-2): Tyler; Hooper, Rea, Edwards (c), Oldfield; Green (Gill 78), Shields, Forsyth, Farrell (Rogers 88); Lee, McKenzie (Clarke 76) UNUSED SUBS: Connor, Forinton.

WREXHAM (4-3-3): Dearden; Roche, Carey (c), McGregor, Hardy (Russell 80); Ferguson, Owen (Bouanane 68), Chalk; Edwards, Faulconbridge, Killen (Sam 61). UNUSED SUBS: Walsh, Ridler.

Referee: Graham Frankland (Middlesborough)

Attendance: 5,381

Bookings:
Peterborough	Wrexham
Tyler (Foul on Edwards, 15)	Carey (Foul on Green, 16)
Hooper (Late on Ferguson, 54)	Ferguson (Altercation with Farrell, 78)
Farrell (Altercation with Ferguson, 78)

Reaction: Brian Flynn / Kevin Dearden / Barry Fry

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