Thanks again to Rory Sheehan who will be providing match reports and feature articles
Kettering Town 1 Wrexham 0
Just a couple of games to go now and our sorry season will finally be at an end, finishing with barely a whimper on the evidence of recent performances. Neither Wrexham nor last season’s Blue Square North champions Kettering had anything to play in this fixture – and it showed.
Yet more changes to the Wrexham line-up saw John Curtis return at right-back, Nathan Fairhurst return to midfield, and Jefferson Louis return up front. Jamie McCluskey was also thrown in for a start.
With less than 5 minutes gone, the Dragons were a goal down. A typical long-ball was allowed to bounce over Ashley Westwood as he failed to deal with Ryan Charles who went on to slot the ball past Chris Maxwell in the Wrexham goal.
Having got off to the worst possible start with another giveaway goal, it didn’t get any better. The home side were on top and Wrexham were second-best by far. The Reds lacked drive and inspiration and just didn’t look able to impose themselves on the game.
Close to the half hour mark Maxwell had to make a save from Chris Beardsley, before Wrexham began to get back into the game. The main threat was carried by McCluskey, while Louis also went close.
At half-time Silvio Spann was replaced by Jon Brown as a drab, evenly contested game continued on. McCluskey and his set-pieces caused problems for Kettering with Guy Branston clearing an effort off the line at one stage, but the Poppies didn’t sit back either.
Goalscorer Charles nearly grabbed his second of the game from a Westcarr corner but for an interception that turned the ball over the bar. Shortly after Ryan Flynn made way for Obi Anoruo and Nathan Fairhurst gave way to Tom Kearney.
Ironically, having been out in the wilderness for months and failing to show much attacking prowess in previous appearances, Kearney suddenly showed the urgency and drive we’d been lacking.
Pushing forward Crofts headed wide and Anoruo scuffed an effort from close-range. Meanwhile Kettering looked to hit Wrexham on the break and still seemed the more likely side to score. Despite a slight improvement in the second-half, Wrexham finished the game with nothing again.
A run of just 2 wins from 16 games is an abysmal run and the performances have not been much better, this game being a case in point. Most fans can’t wait to see the back of this season now and, if honest, the players and management would probably say the same.
An away trip to Ebbsfleet on Tuesday and a home game with Weymouth on Sunday hold little interest other than to see how Dean Saunders might be preparing for next term. He has to accept some responsibility for the way the season has tailed off in the manner that it has since the Burton game in February.
It remains to be seen whether he has what it takes over the summer to turn it around again…
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