5th September 2000:

18th November 2000: F.A. Cup First Round

Another Home Deficit Proves Insurmountable

It’s a familiar story for Wrexham fans this year: a poor start at The Racecourse followed by a brave fight-back which fails to earn a reward. The problem is that, discounting the Welsh Premier Cup, Wrexham have conceded the first goal in seven of their nine home games this season and have never equalised, and not even the fact that this was the F.A. Cup, Wrexham’s competition of choice under Brian Flynn, could alter the sequence.

Rotherham arrived on the back of a terrific run of one defeat in twelve games, kick-started by that 3-1 win at The Racecourse back in September, and boasting an away league record of six wins, two draws and one loss. Their performance in the first half hour certainly lived up to that billing, as Wrexham looked bewildered, struggling to get a foot on the ball in midfield. The front three of Mark Robins, Alan Lee and Paul Warne showed great movement and threatened every time United broke. Furthermore, they boasted a significant height advantage at set pieces and threatened from the start with a succession of corners. In the second minute Keven Dearden came for a Hurst inswinger and let it through his hands, the ball flying across the open goal and behind for another corner which Rob Scott flicked narrowly wide of the far post. Branston also went close with a close range header which went over from Watson’s flag kick. Darren Garner, inventive on the right, cut in onto his left foot to curl a shot narrowly wide of the far post with Dearden beaten, and he nearly set up the opener when he took a diagonal ball beautifully in his stride and cut back for Robins, clear on goal, who hit the side-netting.

Wrexham fought back in the last fifteen minutes of the half, though, with Martyn Chalk’s energy and Carlos Edwards’ flair notable, and they carved one chance out when Darren Ferguson slid a neat ball to Hector Sam on the edge of the area and his pace took him beyond the onrushing goalkeeper but Grey, at full stretch, got a slight touch on the ball to take the pace of it and managed to smother it before Sam could track back and dispatch it in an empty net. Considering the upturn in Wrexham’s fortunes, it was ironic that the newly-subdued United shopuld claim the winning goal as the half drew to a close. It came from a sloppily defended corner; having allowed Rotherham to play some uncovered short corners, Garner was left unmarked on the edge of the box and although he hit his shot into the ground it ballooned invitingly to the edge of the six yard box where Lee headed past a helpless Dearden.

The tone of the second half was set when Scott executed a terrific last gasp tackle to halt Craig Faulconbridge. For the remianing forty five minutes Wrexham maintained a high tempo and put Rotherham under terrific pressure, but their defence stood firm, with Scott particularly impressive. Despite the pressure, opportunities to score were few and far between, and Michael Blackwood replaced Paul Barrett as Brian Flynn switched to 4-4-2 to stretch the Rotherham defence. Blackwood was a dangerous presence and almost immediately whipped in a devil of a cross which no-one could quite reach, before hoisting a high ball to the far post which Faulconbridge won in a challenge with the goalkeeper, no Wrexham player being able to get to it before an open goal.

Rotherham, already under the cosh, were forced to concede more ground half way through the second half when they were reduced to ten men. Guy Branston, who had been booked for persistent fouling of Sam, blocked a quick free kick by Dearden and picked up a second yellow card, and shorn of one of their hulking centre-backs, United conceded a couple of late chances as Wrexham threw everything at them. Faulconbridge rose to meet a Chalk corner with a firm header which beat the diving Grey but was cleared off the line by Watson, but the most agonising moment was saved for the last five minutes, when a fine, probing move ended with Edwards pulling the ball back for Kevin Russell, on for Bouanane as the Reds threw caution to the wind, who shot over from six yards as he attacked the loose ball at full stretch.

United could have got a flatterring second when Ridler’s error let in Lee to hit a shot from a tight angle which hit the outside of the post, and might have thrown their lead away when substitute Chris Beech fell in the box and, in the judgement of the fans if not David Elleray, put his hand on the ball as he got up. It was not to be, though, and Wrexham were left to rue their appalling home form as they faced up to their first opening round dismissal in the F.A. Cup since 1993.

WREXHAM (4-3-3): Dearden; Roche, McGregor, Ridler, Bouanane (Russell 83); Chalk, Ferguson, Barrett (Blackwood 63); Edwards, Sam, Faulconbridge. UNUSED SUBS: Rogers, Carey, Owen.

ROTHERHAM UNITED(4-4-2): Gray; Scott, Branston, Artell, Hurst; Lee, Talbot (Beech 90), Watson(c), Garner; Warne, Robins (Beech 69). UNUSED SUBS: Pettinger, Berry, Varty, Lamarchand.

Referee: David Elleray (Harrow)

Bookings:
	Wrexham	Rotherham
	Sam (Foul on Beech, 71)	Scott (dissent, 37)
		Branston (persistent fouling of Sam, 62)
Sending off:
		Branston (second booking, failing to retreat 10 yards, 68)

Attendance: 3,887

Reaction: Brian Flynn

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