City almost scored what could possibly have been the quickest goal in their history. Keates played the ball forward from the start and Birch picked up the ball and ran into the box and he pulled the box square but Brown’s shot was blocked by former Premiership winner, Paul Warhurst. There were only 7 seconds on the clock on this point.
City wasted no time in getting back into the attack mode as good work between Mayo and Birch saw the latter chip the ball into the box towards Keates, the skillful midfielder was fouled and it was a free kick on the edge of the area to City. Brown stepped up and smashed his free kick straight at the wall and Wrexham broke with a neat passing movement that eventually came to nothing
The Imps should have lead with 6 minutes left when Birch and Mayo broke through 2 on 1 on the keeper but just as Birch played the ball to Mayo, a defender made a very last ditch clearance that prevented an almost certain goal.
Kerr was the next to come close for the Imps but his dipping volley went just over before Wrexham launched a rare attack. They broke down the right and won a corner, but they wasted the corner as the ball was easily cleared. The game did slow down quite a bit as neither side could settle and it was a major midfield battle.
An attacking move that was beautifully created by Mayo and Keates saw the Imps win a corner that was pumped into the back post where the ball was easily cleared. The game again slowed down and despite of their nice flowing football, Wrexham couldn’t get anywhere near the goal, Marriott could have brought a deck chair and relaxed as Wrexham’s strikes on goal were proving as effective as a condom machine in the Vatican.
Asamoah had the final opportunity of the first half but his long range drive was well saved by ex-York ‘keeper, Michael Ingham.
Ingham was called into action at the very beginning of the half when Beevers sent a thunderbolt goalwards but it was well saved by Ingham. City did gain 3 successive corners but the final one was cleared relatively easily.
Mayo and Birch broke through again after a clever through ball from Asamoah. Mayo broke forward and was being harrowed by a defender, he was all about to shoot before the defender made a last ditch tackle, in all fairness, perhaps the pass to Birch would have been a wiser choice.
City were firmly in control the game and Wrexham were hardly getting a look in and at times, looked unbothered about the game. City did finally make the pressure tell just after the hour. A corner was sent in and a major scramble saw the ball headed past the onrushing Ingham and Nat Brown got a tap on the ball to force it into the net and gave the Imps a deserved 1-0 lead.
Kerr almost made it 2-0 very quickly when his cross-cum-shot flew over Ingham’s head but his arm managed to just tap it over the bar and out for a corner. A few half chances later and Asamoah was replaced by Francis Green. What’s this I see, have Wrexham managed to get out of their own half? Not only that but they actually managed to get a curious thing called a shot in at goal but the thing resembling a shot went wide of the goal. Wrexham were finally starting to come into the game as they were looking for an equalizer and after seeing City effectively play 11 behind the ball, he replaced Birch with McAuley as he looked to secure City’s 3rd clean sheet in a row. Wrexham were desperate to equalize and their efforts inevitable proved their downfall.
Wrexham got a corner but City won the ball and suddenly broke against a 2 man Wrexham defence. Green tormented the Wrexham left back before breaking past him and running towards goal. However, surprisingly, just before Ingham reached Green, the former
The goal secured City’s 2nd league win of the season and a third clean sheet in a row and send City up to 10th.
Bookmark or share this story with: