There’s an obvious question to ask before today’s match with Eastleigh: is Andrew Boyce playing? Boyce has pulled off a remarkable, unwanted feat in this fixture, as he was sent off in each of our last two matches against The Spitfires!
Last season he walked in the 67th minute of our 1-1 draw at Eastleigh, receiving a yellow card for a late tackle on Sam Wedgbury, and then getting a second for a blatant handball. This season he picked up his second booking in the 64th minute, pretty good going for a man who came on as a half time substitute! On that occasion we were already 2-0 up, and came away with a 3-1 win.
Incredibly, they’re the only red cards he’s received in a career which has spanned seven years, over 200 games and seven clubs!
This is a fixture which has been dominated by draws. We’ve won three times and lost once against Eastleigh, but five games between us have ended in stalemate. Our home record against them is patchy, with two wins, one draw and one defeat to our name.
Last season we recorded a 2-1 win, but left it late, as Shaun Pearson and Chris Holroyd scored in the last twenty minutes to overturn a half time deficit.
Our best win over Eastleigh was achieved when they first visited us, in September 2014. It was a comfortable affair, as Elliott Durrell and Wes York each scored in the opening half hour. The visitors showed little appetite for the battle, and Andy Bishop scored in the second half to secure a 3-0 win.
There are milestones galore in midfield today. Luke Summerfield makes his 375th league appearance, while Luke Young plays in his 275th career game and Akil Wright will appear in his 50th league match for Wrexham.
Here’s my column from last week’s Leader. It forms part of the paper’s comprehensive pre-match coverage every Friday, featuring interviews, an in-depth look at the opposition and lots of statistical analysis. All content in the column (c) www.leaderlive.co.uk.
DragonHeart 