Wrexham

Rochdale v Wrexham
Rochdale boss Steve Parkin is set to name the same team that beat Macclesfield last weekend. Mark Jackson (ankle) and Gareth Griffiths (back) could make the bench, but Blair Sturrock (hip) and Alan Goodall (cheekbone) are still out. Wrexham midfielder Danny Williams hopes to shrug off a minor back injury. However, midfielder Darren Ferguson completes a two-match ban and defender Lee Roche remains sidelined with a stomach strain.

Cheltenham v Wrexham
Wrexham will be without Jim Whitley (bruised pelvis) for two weeks and Lee Roche (stomach) remains sidelined. Darren Ferguson returns after suspension, Danny Williams is fit and Alex Smith is back in favour.

Front line a partnership - Smith
On-loan Blackburn striker Matt Derbyshire continues to win the plaudits at Wrexham with a brace in the 2-2 draw at Cheltenham. That took his tally to eight in eight games at the Dragons, but Wrexham manager Denis Smith has urged people to remember strike partner Sam Williams. "Matt will get the pats on the back but Sam was also superb," said Smith. "They look a good partnership, that's why I've taken Sam on a third and final month's loan from Aston Villa." Smith was reasonably happy with his side's form at the Robins, but admits that it was "frustrating" to have to settle for another draw after taking the lead. "Both sides went at it like a cup tie and wanted the three points," Smith told Sir Stanley. " made a bad mistake for them to take the lead with their second goal and that made it difficult for us. "But we're scoring for fun away from home. When sides attack us we can get at them, at the Racecourse they sit deeper and we have to be more patient. "I feel that we're starting to get our more experienced players back and we can go on a good run. "Losing Dennis Lawrence to an ankle injury was a major loss against Cheltenham, though. "His replacement is a YTS player. He's going to be good, but that had an impact on our performance. "Dennis faces a race to be fit for our local derby with Chester at the Racecourse on Sunday."

Wrexham end Bayliss loan at Dale
Wrexham have recalled Dave Bayliss from his loan spell at Rochdale. Dragons boss Denis Smith turned down Rochdale's request to keep the defender until the end of the season because of the injury concern to Dennis Lawrence. But Bayliss, 29, is suspended for Saturday's game after he was sent off in Rochdale's recent defeat to Wrexham. "There are 10 games after that and hopefully I can get a few games in before that, but it's out of my hands," said Bayliss. "I am a little disappointed to be going back, because I don't know what the situation is down at Wrexham. "I don't know whether I going to be playing or going back into the reserves. I'll just go back, be professional and give it my best shot."

Wrexham FC deal 'within a month'
The businessman leading a consortium to buy Wrexham Football Club is confident the deal can be completed within weeks. The League Two club must be sold by 3 June - when it will have been in administration for 18 months - or could be expelled from the Football League. Car dealer Neville Dickens and his associates have signed an "exclusivity" deal with the administrators, which will expire on 30 April. Mr Dickens said he planned to plough all future profits back into the club. He told Sir Stanley on Thursday: "We're confident we can meet the deadline. We're pretty sure we can get it sorted out by then. "But there's a lot of work to be done." He wants to ensure the club's recent problems can "never happen again." He added: "We're pretty confident we can go forward and put the club on a good, sound financial footing." The exclusivity deal was announced on Wednesday evening, with administrators claiming the bid was "in the best interests of the club". Wrexham went into administration at the end of 2004 with debts of more than £4m. The Football League imposed a 10-point penalty on the club and in May 2005 the Dragons were relegated to League Two - English football's bottom tier. After a several court cases, London's appeal court ruled earlier this month that the administrators and not former chairman Alex Hamilton should retain ownership of the club's Racecourse Ground. The ruling paved the way for the sale of the club before the 3 June deadline after which it could be expelled under new league rules for clubs in long term administration. In a statement on Wednesday announcing the agreement with Mr Dickens' group, administrators David Acland and Steve Williams said: "The agreement allows for exclusivity until 30 April 2006, during which time it is hoped that contracts will be exchanged for acquisition of the club's assets. The consortium says it will safeguard Racecourse football "We feel that the Dickens bid is in the best interests of the club and its stakeholders." Mr Dickens was a club director in the 1980s and one of his garages is on land adjoining the Racecourse stadium. He made a bid to buy the club in April 2005 - a move welcomed at the time by the Wrexham Supporters' Trust. Mr Dickens said he wished to retain manger Denis Smith and promised "sufficient financial backing to allow them to compete at the top of their division".

Grimsby 2-0 Wrexham
Goals from Gary Jones and Michael Reddy saw high-flying Grimsby to an easy win over play-off chasing Wrexham. The Dragons started slowly and gave away cheap ball, Jones taking advantage of slack defending to lash in a right foot volley off Marc Goodfellow's pass. Wrexham rallied after the break, Matt Crowell threatening with a free kick and Mark Jones firing over the bar. But as they pushed Dennis Lawrence forward they were caught, Jones finding Reddy who fired home a left footer. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grimsby: Mildenhall, McDermott, Whittle, Robert Jones, Newey, Cohen (Parkinson 58), Bolland, Woodhouse, Goodfellow, Reddy, Gary Jones. Subs Not Used: Mendes, Croft, Kamudimba, Futcher. Booked: Cohen, Woodhouse. Goals: Gary Jones 25, Reddy 88. Wrexham: Ingham, Danny Williams, Lawrence, Pejic, Spender, Holt, Crowell, Ferguson, Mark Jones, Walters, Sam Williams (Smith 81). Subs Not Used: Michael Jones, Bayliss, Marc Williams, Mike Williams. Booked: Walters. Att: 6,058 Ref: T Kettle (Berkshire).

Roche wants new Wrexham contract
Lee Roche hopes Wrexham will offer him a new deal at the end of the season. Roche joined on a 12-month contract last July, but two hernia operations have limited the former Manchester United trainee to just 16 games. "Now that the club seems likely to come out of administration, the only way is up and I'd like to play my part in that," Roche told the Daily Post. Defender Roche, who joined on a free transfer, made his latest comeback in a reserve game at Blackpool on Wednesday.

Fixture congestion angers Smith
Denis Smith has criticised the packed fixture list that requires Wrexham to play four games in eight days. The Dragons lost 2-1 at home to Shrewsbury on Sunday and now face an Easter programme against Chester, Stockport and then Bristol Rovers. "We shouldn't play Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday, Monday - it is just ridiculous," said the Wrexham manager. "But once again we don't make the rules, we just have to go out there on the pitch and abide by them."

Stockport 2-1 Wrexham
Stockport secured another priceless win in their ongoing battle to avoid the drop from the Football League. The home side got a dream start with a goal after just five minutes after Tes Bramble nodded the ball into the path of Ashley Williams who headed home. Bramble ought to have doubled the lead, but Wrexham equalised on 38 minutes when Michael Raynes failed to clear and Simon Spender finished clinically. But Raynes made amends four minutes later to head Stockport back in front. Stockport: Spencer, Briggs, Williams, Raynes (Beharall 73), Robinson, Taylor, O'Connor, Ward, Griffin, Malcolm (Boshell 68), Bramble (Dickinson 45). Subs Not Used: Smith, Hamshaw. Booked: Bramble. Goals: Williams 6, Raynes 42. Wrexham: Ingham, Pejic, Lawrence, Mike Williams (Smith 79), Spender, Sam Williams (Crowell 80), Danny Williams, Ferguson, Holt, Derbyshire (McEvilly 61), Walters. Subs Not Used: Michael Jones, Roche. Booked: Lawrence, Smith. Goals: Spender 38. Att: 4,750 Ref: P Joslin (Nottinghamshire).

Smith happy with gritty Wrexham
Manager Denis Smith was relieved after Matt Derbyshire's goal against Bristol Rovers ended Wrexham's losing run to keep their slim play-off hopes alive. "I've been in a bad mood for the past 10 days, but fair play to the lads they dug in against Rovers," Smith said. "They have defended well and it was important we kept a clean sheet. "No matter we've been in administration and had bad injuries and all the other excuses - the play-offs are the minimum we should be looking for."

Wrexham 1-0 Bristol R
Matt Derbyshire's early strike kept Wrexham's slim play-off hopes alive. The on-loan striker ended a run of four successive League Two defeats after converting a precise Darren Ferguson pass in the fifth minute. Rovers turned the screw in the second half, with Richard Walker heading over the bar and having an effort well saved by Dragons goalkeeper Michael Jones. Wrexham's Jon Walters then squandered a late chance to give the scoreline a more convincing look. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wrexham: Michael Jones, Pejic, Danny Williams, Lawrence, Spender, Crowell, Ferguson (Bennett 82), Sam Williams, Holt (Smith 45), Derbyshire, McEvilly (Walters 67). Subs Not Used: Done, Mike Williams. Goals: Derbyshire 5. Bristol Rovers: Shearer, Lescott, Hinton, Elliott, Carruthers, Haldane (Gibb 62), Hunt, Disley, Campbell (Lines 85), Agogo, Walker. Subs Not Used: Horsell, Edwards, Mullings. Att: 3,749 Ref: L Mason (Lancashire).

Injury strikes Wrexham's McEvilly
Wrexham striker Lee McEvilly is likely to miss the rest of the season having broken a bone in his foot for the second time in four months. McEvilly, 24, only returned to action this month after being injured in December, but has lasted four games. A twisted right foot sustained against Chester City has since been diagnosed as another stress fracture. "I went for X-rays and you can imagine how I felt when the same bone had been broken again," he told the Daily Post. "I played the second half against Stockport and started the game against Bristol Rovers, but I was still getting the pain. "I thought I'd get over it after treatment with ice."

Torquay v Wrexham
Torquay top scorer Tony Bedeau is doubtful after damaging knee ligaments in the win against Macclesfield. James Sharp is struggling with a hamstring injury but Kevin Hill (blister) should be available. Wrexham are without striker Lee McEvilly, who could miss the rest of the season with a foot stress fracture. Andy Holt (thigh) is another fresh injury, while Dave Bayliss (ankle) and goalkeeper Mike Ingham (wrist) are still missing but Mark Jones returns.

Smith blasts lacklustre Dragons
Wrexham manager Denis Smith had harsh words for his team after the 1-0 loss at league strugglers Torquay United. "Two weeks ago we were cast iron play off certainties, now I'm glad we have points on board or we'd be looking at relegation," Smith told Sir Stanley "Why? You have to speak to the players. I've run out of things to say to them and out of ideas to get them going. "I'm not happy. If people want to give me stick I'll be glad to talk to them, but they'd better be brave." Smith bemoaned a familiar problem for his side this season, poor starts that have allowed teams to take the lead before defending in depth. "We give sides the lead then proceed to dominate the game without creating anything," said Smith. "If we'd scored one at Torquay we could have got two or three. "But they sat in, defended and got away with it. It's up to us to break them down, but we haven't shown the ability to do that. "It seems to me that we're determined to keep the bottom of the league survival race alive. "I go through all of the problems before every game, but I don't know what's going on between my players' ears."

Wrexham v Oxford United
Andy Holt is set to miss out for Wrexham with a dead leg, but goalkeeper Michael Ingham is available again after recovering from a wrist injury. Midfielder Matt Crowell is again expected to start after shaking off a knock as The Dragons need to win to keep their slim promotion hopes alive. Oxford have suffered a blow by losing centre-half Leo Roget (ankle) as they battle against the drop. John Dempster is set to partner Chris Willmott in the heart of the defence.

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