Wrexham 1 Wolves 0

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy admits he ‘hates’ friendlies. After watching this, the 660 Wolves fans knew where he was coming from, explains Tim Nash.

The boss stayed in the director’s box throughout, restraining himself from any histrionics which he may have been tempted into if he had ventured down to the touchline.

The important message to take from this lowest of low key friendlies is the fact this is early days. It is very much ‘work in progress’.

Wolves fans may remember a 6-1 thrashing by then Conference side Morecambe before the Premier League season.

After all, this was the opening warm-up match of eight friendlies. Iit came after two weeks of non-stop, often twice daily training.

It was also impossible to draw any conclusions from a game which included four different teams and 44 players.

McCarthy reckoned some of his players looked ‘leggy. ’ Coming after another gruelling running session on Friday, it was certainly a laboured performance.

He said: “It was just a runout. I hate pre-season games – they’re just a means to an end to get fit.

“The players looked ‘leggy’ and they said that themselves, but they’ve had two weeks’ hard graft.

“They worked hard again on Friday, and, while I don’t like getting beat, it’s not the be-all and end-all at this stage.

“We all get upset when we don’t win and I was sat upstairs because I didn’t want to be in the dugout jumping and shouting.

“We’ve not been back two weeks and it was a fitness exercise with some good and some not so good (performances). That’s only to be expected.

“Players forget things – organisation and so on – but you pick that up over the next month, and that’s what we’ll do.

“Wrexham’s goal was awesome, a fabulous strike. Will I see a better one than that this season? Not in our goal I hope!”

For all the rhetoric and changes, some of the areas of concern which cost them last season again surfaced at the Racecourse Ground.

Pace was in short supply, and, as befits a team which only registered one serious shot on target throughout, there was also a lack of cutting edge.

There were encouraging signs, perhaps none more so than the lively, tidy energetic and imaginative display by Mark Davies.

The former England under-19s captain seems to have been around for ages. At the age of 20, is playing catch-up.

Two years of injury hell have robbed the busy midfielder of some crucial development time.

In an enterprising 45 minutes, Davies suggested he still possesses the talent that had Wolves figureheads proclaiming him as the most talented recruit to graduate from the Academy since Robbie Keane.

Davies kept and used the ball intelligently and his little ‘give and gos’ with fellow half-time arrival David Jones was the highlight of a sluggish Wolves performance.

It was just as well Davies provided the talking point as chances were thin on the ground.

Wrexham, who will start the season in the Blue Square Premier, were always the sharper outfit and created far more chances of an exchange that made it impossible not to keep looking at the clock.

Winger Sam Aiston and midfielder Silvio Spann were both inches wide with a driving run and shot and free kick respectively in the first-half, while Michael Proctor climbed above Kevin Foley to head over when he should have at least forced a save.

Wolves’ chances were limited to a Stephen Ward header from Andy Keogh’s cross, after which the referee ruled a foul for climbing anyway.

Keogh also went close with a shot which forced Gavin Ward into a diving stop from Sylvan Ebanks-Blake’s cross on the stroke of half-time.

With three Wards between the teams, two Collinses in Wolves’ party and three Williamses, two Evanses and two Browns in the Wrexham squad, it was just as well the line-ups changed at half-time rather than an endless stream of substitutions.

By that time, we’d our first glimpse of new signing Richard Stearman – Sam Vokes was left behind with a minor ankle knock – and the former Leicester defender had a busy if erratic time.

Looking mobile and athletic, the 20-year-old made several strong challenges, but his slip was enough to pave the way for the opening for Aiston’s chance.

Bur Stearman – and all the players for that matter – were stunned by the only goal of the game in the 49th minute.

Wes Baynes’s 30-yard free kick rocket that ripped into the top corner gave Carl Ikeme no chance and stunned everyone in the ground.

In fact, the 19-year-old homegrown midfielder’s strike was a repeat of two similar strikes against Lincoln at the end of last season.

Wrexham continued to force chances, as Marc Williams twice forced saves from Ikeme in between Simon Brown firing straight at the substitute keeper after a slip by Jody Craddock.

Wolves’ efforts on goal were so rare that when Stephen Elliott shot straight at keeper Anthony Williams in the 70th minute, there were ironic cheers from the 660 Wolves fans.

Wolves also included a surprise trialist, 18-year-old Cypriot midfiielder Valentino Sheilis.

The teenager, who has most recently been with Doncaster, is left-footed and played the first half, but will be looking to do more if he is to impress McCarthy.

First-half teams:

Wrexham (4-4-2): G Ward; Spender, Mike Williams, N Brown, Tremarco; Spann, G Evans, Kearney, Aiston; Louis, Proctor.

Wolves (4-4-2): Hennessey; Foley, Stearman, D Ward, R Edwards; Kightly, D Edwards, Sheilis, S Ward; Ebanks-Blake, Keogh.

Second-half teams:

Wrexham (4-4-2): Anthony Williams; Critchell, S Evans, Pejic, Marriott; Baynes, Fleming, Mackin, Taylor; S Brown, Marc Williams.

Wolves (4-4-2): Ikeme; Little, N Collins, Craddock, Elokobi; Gray, Davies, Jones, Jarvis; Elliott, Hughes.

Subs not used: L Collins, Bennett.

Referee: S Cummins.

Attendance: 2,749 (660 Wolves fans).