Wrexham dates, prices and views
Last updated : 02 February 2005 By Dave Moore
Oldham Athletic and Wrexham have agreed dates and prices for the forthcoming LDV Vans Trophy Area Final. The first leg, as planned, will take place at Boundary Park on Tuesday 15th. February, with the return leg at the Racecourse Ground on Tuesday 8th. March. The clubs have also agreed that the admission for these games will be at the usual league match prices.
Wrexham, deep in the problems of Administration, a situation from which Athletic recently escaped, are still confident of making the final. Iestyn (Charles) Stevens of Wrexham Footy Mad explained, “As regards administration, Andy Smith of UPA, should have completed the paperwork necessary allow him to take the club by the middle of February, with us likely to be in Administration until around April. At the moment we're on course to break even for the remainder of the season while in the hands of the Administrator, which is a start off-the-field as we try to turn things around on it.”
“Confidence seems high around town for the game with Oldham, knowing we're just 180 minutes from a trip to Cardiff. This is backed up partly because we know we can win at Boundary Park, having secured a 3-2 victory there in the second game of the season. Our away form has been better than our home form this season by far, and a good result would set the game up nicely for a March date at the Racecourse, possibly attracting a bigger than usual crowd.”
“Personally, I don't like two legs, even more so when they're so far apart. Depending on which team makes it to Boundary Park, I'll give a very early guestimation of a 2-1 Dragons victory, although any win would be fantastic in
setting up our home tie.”
The Latics have turned their season around since that dark night match back at the start of the season when they lost to the Welshmen. They now have a team playing with confidence, albeit with a preponderance of loan players, who have knocked Premiership Manchester City out of the FA Cup and unluckily lost a close encounter last Sunday in the same competition to Bolton Wanderers. It would not have been an injustice had they forced a replay at the Reebok Stadium.
The team are now consolidated in mid-table and the future is starting to look brighter for Brian Talbot’s men. There can be no comparison now with that early season team of: Pogliacomi, Holden, Griffin, Bonner, Haining, Arber, Appleby, Jack, Eyre (Eyres 72), Johnson, Vernon (Boshell 46). Subs not used: Tierney, Beharall, Barlow. Some of the players names are the same but their attitudes are totally diferent now! I can forsee a trip to Cardiff for Oldham.
Prediction at Boundary Park - Latics 3 Wrexham 0
Prediction at the Racecourse - Wrexham 1 Latics 1
