Match report: Wrexham 1 Huddersfield Town 3

Aug 3 2009 by Mel Booth, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

THIS was no stroll in the Welsh sunshine as Town got a timely reminder there’s a lot of hard work ahead this season.

Impressive Wrexham tested every aspect of Town’s play and it was testament to the all-round strength of Lee Clark’s squad that they finished with a flourish.

Two goals in the last seven minutes from Lee Novak – who again caught the eye – and Gary Roberts finally put paid to the spirited challenge of Dean Saunders’ Blue Square Premier side in a hard-fought contest.

Perhaps Town got a false sense of well-being when Theo Robinson scored a wonderful opening goal with only 65 seconds on the clock, linking smartly with Robbie Simpson to shred the home defence in style.

But they were pretty soon knocked out of their stride as Manchester City signing Curtis Obeng and lively sub Adrian Cieslewicz clicked Wrexham into gear and, when experienced frontman Gareth Taylor equalised on 31 minutes, it was no more than they deserved.

Town were hesitant and inaccurate in thought and deed at that stage and the 224 travelling fans – Wrexham’s second highest away attendance since they dropped out of the Football League – must have wondered what had happened to the fluency and rhythm which had marked much of Town’s previous work in friendlies.

It took a few harsh words from the manager to regain the necessary focus and then amid a flurry of second-half substitutions, Town gradually assumed greater control.

The sharpness of debutant Jordan Rhodes and Novak up front, allied to the pace of Lionel Ainsworth down the left, clearly shook Wrexham in the final quarter and Town piled on the pressure in the closing moments.

They certainly didn’t have it all their own way over the 90 minutes, however, and that might just serve them well when it comes to the action proper against Southend at Roots Hall on Saturday.