The pre-season has begun! Football returned last weekend with a match at Nantwich played in scorching heat, although the tempo Wrexham maintained made light of the conditions.

As if that wasn’t encouraging enough, we played some attractive, purposeful football and there were a number of impressive performances.

It was the eye-catching performances of our younger players which really demanded attention, though.

Before I go any further, I have to assure you that I am aware that a pre-season game against a team a couple of divisions below us is not a proper test. It’s not the sort of experience which will prepare you for Solihull Moors away on a Tuesday in November.

However, Nantwich are a decent side, they have some good players, and it’s fair to get a sense of a player’s development in a match like this, even if you can’t draw a definitive conclusion.

The young defenders were given a serious workout because Nantwich boast an awkward customer up front. Dan Cockerline is strong, good in the air and bang in form, having scored some fine goals already in pre-season for The Dabbers.

He targeted our young centre backs, hoping to bully them and take advantage of the fact that neither of them have yet made their first team debuts.

He had some success in the first half against Dan Davies, but not much. Davies is an exciting prospect, who has already been on trial with the likes of Chelsea.

He was solid in defence, mobile and decisive. Cockerline sometimes troubled him in the air, but there’s no disgrace in that. The striker struggled to get into decent positions, as Davies was positionally sound and strong in the tackle.

The most striking thing about his play was his confidence on the ball. We pinged the ball around with conviction, and Davies’ ability to match his senior team mates in this respect was prominent.

He didn’t shy away from the difficult passes, driving the ball into his strikers’ feet accurately to maintain the pace of our attacks. He was comfortable coming forwards with the ball as well, and lived up to the reputation he brought into the game.

He was replaced by Aaron James at the break, and Cockerline had a little more success in the air. However, James was very eager to get forwards and used the ball well when he did.

We brought two other subs on at the break, and they both had an exciting impact on the game.

Dan Jones has been earmarked as a promising attacking player, so it was interesting to see him being used as a wing-back. Whether this is something the coaching staff are exploring, or merely an act of necessity with Reece Hall-Johnson absent, he was excellent.

Naturally, he was impressive going forward, his pace and combination play asking questions of the Nantwich defence. He was directly responsible for Wrexham’s third goal, appearing from nowhere to rob a defender as he received a short goal kick on the edge of the box, sparking mayhem in the goalmouth.

Impressively, Jones was able to fulfil his defensive duties too, despite having to make constant shuttle runs from advanced positions in the intense heat to get back. He’s strong, and was able to lever opponents off the ball to retrieve possession. He’s not the sort of young prospect who will just melt into the background when he gets his chance.

That third goal was scored by Kai Evans, who was in the thick of the action from the moment he came on. Almost immediately he was at the centre of a neat exchange of passes, which ended in him slamming a terrific 25-yard shot against the bar.

He carried on the same confident vein, breaking forwards threateningly to support the strikers and showing plenty of energy when we didn’t have the ball.

Max Cleworth set the example for our youth products, breaking into the side last season and taking the opportunity with both hands. Despite all the money in the transfer kitty, Phil Parkinson’s trust in Cleworth showed that he is willing to give young players a chance if their ability merits it.

It might be that the youngsters who caught the eye on Saturday would benefit from a spell away on loan, to get used to the physical demands of playing against senior opposition, and the psychological demands of playing in matches which really matter, in front of fans who won’t be willing to make allowances for underperforming players just because they’re young.

Cleworth spent the second half of the 2020-21 season at Caernarfon Town, stood out for The Cofis, and returned to enjoy a strong pre-season and start the first game of last season. A spell on loan might be just the thing to prepare our youngsters for the challenge of playing for us in League Two next season!