Doug Shulman introduces Saturday's visitors, Wrexham.

Following consecutive away games United return to the Trade Recruitment Stadium to host Wrexham. The Dragons were relegated from the Football League last season, but after a summer restructure will be looking for a swift return. However, Brian Little's ninth-placed side will be smarting from a midweek home defeat to Burton, whilst the injury and suspension ravaged U's will look to cement their place in the top four.

The Welsh club have struggled on and off the pitch since 2004, when former Chairman Alex Hamilton bought the Racecourse Ground privately a matter of weeks into his tenure, promptly serving the club notice to quit. His sole purpose was to sell the stadium for development purposes and, although the fans won their battle with Hamilton, they had become financially stricken.

Relegation from League One followed, with administration not too far behind. A mid-table finish League Two finish was achieved in 2006, whilst they narrowly avoided the drop a year later when concluding five points from safety. However, last season proved disastrous. The tone was set early on with six defeats in their opening eight League games, and they then entered December hovering one point from the drop-zone. By this time Manager Brian Carey had stepped aside, allowing Little to take the reins whilst the former stayed on as Assistant boss.

A seven match spell during January and February caused irreparable damage though. Home losses to Brentford, Rochdale and Stockport were cradled by 3-0 reverses at both Dagenham and Rotherham, with the Dragons scoring just two goals along the way. Gates dipped towards the lower 4,000 mark, but the Dragons halted their slide with a 1-0 home win over table-toppers MK Dons, and a six-game unbeaten run ensued. Nevertheless, the Reds were now six points adrift at the foot of the table, and with teams around them finding form they found it impossible to clamber away. A mere two victories in the next twelve games was their final undoing and, following a 2-0 reverse at Hereford, Football League status was lost.

Statistically, ten home defeats and sixteen on the road were accompanied by a poor record of thirty-eight goals scored, whilst the seventy conceded throughout the season underlined their problems.

The Squad

In preparation for their Blue Square Premier debut Little allowed twelve players to leave, including experienced defenders Richard Hope and Jeff Whitley, journeyman midfielder Danny Sonner, along with strikers Eifion Williams, Drewe Broughton and Neil Roberts. Also departing was defender Phil Bolland, who as we know joined the Garry Brabin roadshow at United. On the coaching side both Martin Foyle and Joey Jones were brought in to assist in strengthening the squad.

One of Little's first close-season signings was Shrewsbury defender Darren Kempson. The mountainous centre-half has wasted no time gelling with Welsh International Steve Evans at the back, with the pair admirably assisted by full backs Carl Tremarco and Wrexham-born Simon Spender. Ex-Leicester and Stoke goalkeeper Gavin Ward is a regular between the sticks.

Central midfield is bossed by the pairing of youth team graduate Levi Mackin, who has nailed a first team place since his temporary spell at Droylsden, and Tom Kearney, who left stricken Halifax in July. Former United midfielder Christian Smith, who made six loan appearances in black & amber during our 2006/07 campaign, has provided competition in the engine room since a recent move from Scottish First Division outfit Clyde. The right flank is capably controlled by Simon Brown, who left Mansfield in May, whilst supplying ammunition from the left-wing on Saturday will be Sam Aiston.

The forward line has been bolstered by the capture of Shaun Whalley, who partnered Lee McEvilly at Accrington for a spell, whilst Jefferson Louis made the fourteenth switch of an eventful career when signing from Mansfield. The two have formed an impressive affiliation, bagging a collective nine goals to date, and are ably supported by bench warmer Marc Williams, who scored on the opening day against Stevenage.

The season so far

Following relegation supporters will have needed a boost, which they promptly received on the opening day of the campaign when Stevenage, as mentioned earlier, were hammered 5-0 in front of a near 5,000 crowd at the Racecourse. Midfielder Levi Mackin was red-carded, but Little will have been impressed with Jefferson Louis, Tom Kearney, Shaun Whalley and Christian Smith, all of whom scored on their debuts.

A 1-0 loss at York was countered with a point from their 1-1 draw at fancied Rushden, before a 2-0 home win over Oxford in front of the Setanta cameras was sealed via goals from Jefferson Louis and Steve Evans.

The Dragons grabbed a point from their trip to Altrincham, despite a poor performance, but returned to form five days later as in-form Salisbury were swept aside thanks to a 4-1 scoreline; the Whalley-Louis strike duo pocketing a brace apiece. Unfortunately they could not build on their victory, and a second loss of the season arrived on Tuesday as Burton drove back to Staffordshire with maximum points. Gavin Ward proved the villain when he attempted to dribble the ball around loitering striker Shaun Harrad, who easily stole possession and tapped into an empty net to rubber-stamp a 1-0 win.

We've Met Before

The U's and Wrexham have met 36 times, with the Welsh side leading the way thanks to sixteen victories. The Dragons have won six games in Cambridgeshire, whilst of United's twelve successes nine are home triumphs.

1973/74 saw United relegated and we faced Wrexham for the first time at the Racecourse Ground in April of that season; the hosts running out 2-1 winners in this Division Three clash. The return four days later saw United gain revenge with a 2-1 victory. In 1977/78 both sides were promoted to Division Two, and we met at the Abbey in the penultimate seasonal match. John Docherty's side triumphed 1-0, but Wrexham eventually claimed the title from runners-up United. A Dragons away win, the first of six, emerged in December 1981 thanks to a 3-2 Division Two victory, whilst a 0-0 scoreline later that season, the second of eight draws overall, did not help the relegation fated Reds. By 1985/86 both sides were in Division Four; Wrexham renewing acquaintances by hammering the visiting U's 6-2.

Regular meetings occurred over the next five seasons until United's 1990 play-off glory, during which time the U's snatched the first of three away wins over Wrexham in October 1989. A series of ten matches in the League's third tier between 1993 and 2002 saw just one home victory for either side; a 5-0 thumping for already relegated United in April 2002. Our last match in April 2003, a Division Three, (now League Two) game ended with a replicated scoreline that sealed Wrexham's promotion.

Two cup fixtures have been played down the years. United grabbed a 1-0 home win in the Leyland-Daf Cup on 18 December 1990, whilst we snaffled a 2-1 FA Cup fourth round victory in January 2000.

For more on previous meetings purchase Saturday's award-winning Matchday Programme!

Matchday Connection

Winger Les Cartwright began his career at Coventry in 1973, before moving to the Racecourse in 1977. He enjoyed a five-year spell with today's visitors, playing a total of 115 games. Whilst with the Dragons he won a Third Division Championship medal, and was part of the side that basked in four seasons of Division Two football. Les also picked up seven Welsh caps prior to his move to the Mighty U's in March 1982. He stayed for just over three years, donned the black & amber on 64 occasions and, scored one goal, which came in a 2-1 Division Two defeat at Charlton on 5 Feb 1983. He left United for Worcester City in June 1985, eventually winding down his career at Nuneaton.

Doug Shulman

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