Reds welcome back Lee Jones

Wrexham want to make February a good month as they have five crucial games in three weeks – hopefully with Lee Jones back in the thick of things.

Lee's comeback from injury begins in the reserves at Blackpool tomorrow and manager Denis Smith hopes that soon leads to his first team return.
 

Smith spoke to the Evening Leader: “Lee’s our top scorer and obviously you miss people who can score. But if all goes well tomorrow he could be looking at returning against Barnsley here a week on Saturday.
 

“I’d like to think he and Chris Armstrong will both play in that one because they’re quality strikers when they’re fit

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“This is going to be a big month in terms of results for us. We’ve got five games starting with Stockport County here on Saturday. Barnsley then come here the following Saturday and then we’ve got two very difficult away games at Bristol City and Bournemouth before rounding off the month at home to Rushden on February 28.”

The cherry was today put on what will be anything but a cake-walk of a month with last Saturday’s postponed game at Bournemouth being re-arranged. That is now on February 24, 7.45pm.

Wrexham made a six-hour trip to their overnight hotel in preparation for the Bournemouth game only for the game to be postponed the following day because the Fitness First Stadium pitch was waterlogged.
 

Smith and the Wrexham players alike were disappointed with the decision, although accepting it was the right decision to make on the day.

Bournemouth chairman, Peter Phillips and manager, Sean O’Driscoll, however, believe it could have been called off long before the 1.30 pm postponement.

Phillips said: “I think perhaps it could have been called off earlier - but may be it was a blessing in disguise.

“It was such a horrible day I don’t think many people would have come out to watch.

We probably would have been in for our lowest crowd of the season and that would have been a shame since we have been playing so well recently.”O’Driscoll said: “I just think it could have been done a lot earlier. The practicalities were that the pitch was unplayable from the moment I said it until it was called off.”

Wrexham now have to consider whether making the re-arranged game an overnight stay.

Smith said: “There are two ways of looking at this. We can go early on the day and get the players settled for a rest after eating down there, play the game and come straight home after.

Or, we can go the night before but that then makes the match-day a long day, hanging around a hotel. I prefer the first option but I’m going to speak to the players about how they feel about it.”