Thanks again to Rory Sheehan who will be providing match reports and feature articles
Ebbsfleet 1 Wrexham 0
The penultimate game of Wrexham’s first term in the BSP was an all too familiar story as the Reds limped to a dismal away defeat at Ebbsfleet. It’s pretty clear that everyone at the club can’t wait to see the back of this season now.
Unsurprisingly, more alterations were made to the line-up. Sam Aiston and Darran Kempson received another throw of the dice while Tom Kearney started his first game for many months having all been all but forgotten until last weekend. They were just a couple of the half-a-dozen fresh changes made by Dean Saunders.
With neither side having anything to play for the opening exchanges were pretty dire and lifeless. Chances were few and far between and nothing much was put together in the way of entertaining and attacking football.
From a corner, the home side went near as Paul McCarthy blasted just wide. The close call briefly woke the Dragons up though they failed to conjure anything that really tested Lance Cronin in the ‘Fleet goal.
Teenage forward Obi Anoruo got himself into a scrap off the ball but it was quickly diffused. That was as exciting as it got for the first period as it ended goalless.
Anoruo was replaced at the break as Michael Proctor entered the fray. The change took effect and the Dragons improved for a short while, keeping the ball and applying pressure to Ebbsfleet. The improvement should have resulted in a goal.
Proctor was through with just Cronin to beat. The goalkeeper made an excellent save but Proctor really should have buried it. The Reds were made to pay with a minute as Ebbsfleet hit back on the break.
The move culminated in Mark Ricketts impressively slamming home a shot off the bar leaving Maxwell with no chance. Minutes later a Kempson header stretched Cronin but in truth, the Reds didn’t look like getting back on level terms.
Perhaps in a sign of desperation, Saunders replaced Jefferson Louis and Tom Kearney with Jamie McCluskey and Aurelien Collin. Pushing four up front, leaving two in midfield, it was centre-half Collin chosen to be the main target man.
The changes made little difference and a lacklustre game ended in another predictable defeat. Wrexham have won only two of their last 18 games and have failed to score in their last five. Recent performances and results have left many glad the season ends on Sunday with the threat of relegation not on the agenda this time around.
This game as much as any recently was as far away from the Wrexham of Saunders earlier reign as you could get. The lack of urgency, ideas and rhythm was a far cry away from the emphatic performances against York and Eastbourne, pre-Christmas.
Sending an ungainly defender in Collin on up front near the end smacked of the Brian Little era, the sort of thing his predecessor would try in the vain hope of rescuing a game.
Sadly, the season can’t end soon enough for all concerned.
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