Young side draws in first Central League game of 2022/23
- Huddersfield Town B Team draws with Wrexham
- Jon Worthington selects a young side for Central League game
- Goal comes late on from trialist Rafael Garcia
A young Huddersfield Town B Team opened the 2022/23 Central League campaign with a draw against Wrexham at the Millers Oils High Performance Complex on Wednesday afternoon.
With many of the senior B Team players training under new Head Coach Mark Fotheringham, it was a young side that took to the field for the game.
The Young Terriers had lots of possession throughout the game and were made to work very hard for their chances against a resilient Wrexham team, who also carried a real threat on the break.
In the end it was a late goal from trialist Rafael Garcia that rescued a point for Jon Worthington’s side, just as the game looked to be going away from the boys in blue and white.
Town bossed the ball in the opening 10 minutes, only for Wrexham to hit the bar just before the quarter hour mark. It was either an overhit cross or an amazing effort from the left winger, but in any case the ball hit Josh Mazfari’s woodwork before rolling away from danger.
It took Town until the 36th minute to fashion a genuine chance of note, with impressive full back Neo Eccleston’s cross deflecting into the air and striker Conor Falls heading over.
The Northern Ireland Under-19 international went even closer minutes later, rising brilliantly to meet skipper Ben Midgley’s corner and crashing a header against the crossbar.
Town’s strong end to the half didn’t herald a goal, as Falls’ first touch when collecting a Charles Ondo cross gave the Wrexham goalkeeper the chance to smother the ball down low.
Wrexham really grew into the game in the second half and started to create more themselves. First Mazfari was tested low to his right by the number nine, and then a ricochet set the same forward through on goal. Thankfully for the Terriers, he placed his shot wide of the far post.
Wrexham’s goal came in the 73rd minute. The forward cleverly eased centre back Ondo under a long ball forward before striding into the area and squaring for the number 11, who placed the ball into the gaping goal.
Town were struggling to test the goalkeeper, but a slice of luck created the big chance needed for the equaliser with five minutes left. An attempted ball into the box hit a defender and fell right into the path of substitute Garcia, who took a touch before finishing nicely across the goalkeeper and inside the far post.
Buoyed, Worthington’s side went the closest to a winner when that man Falls latched onto Eccleston’s cross and forced the goalkeeper into a close range save.
Town’s team (4-2-3-1)
Josh Mazfari; Neo Eccleston, Tom Iorpenda, Charles Ondo, Joseph Johnson (Michael Stone, 66’); Sonny Whittingham, Ben Midgley (c) (Fope Deru, 57’); Cian Philpott (Rafael Garcia, 78’), Donay O’Brien-Brady, Connor Shanks; Conor Falls
Unused substitute
Michael Acquah
Scorer
Rafael Garcia (85’)
