Super Mac Brace The Highlight Of Tough Wrexham Test

James McIntosh signalled his intent for the new Huws Gray Alliance campaign with two fine goals as Nomads brought their pre-season schedule to a close with defeat, but a valuable test, against a youthful Wrexham X1.

The former Airbus UK Broughton and Buckley Town hitman scored twice in an eight-minute first half spell that momentarily had the visitors on the ropes, before the Blue Square Premier giants made their professional fitness levels count with a dominant second half display - adding further goals to an early Adrian Cieslewicz opener to run out 4-2 winners.

With crisis meetings between club officials and Football Conference chiefs earlier in the day, the healthy contingent of Wrexham supporters - who have had to endure a summer of turmoil - could be forgiven for casting their minds away from on-pitch matters, but both sides served up an entertaining affair in front of the watching regional and national press and a near 500-strong crowd to delight former Wrexham stalwart Mark McGregor. 

The Nomads' boss named himself in the starting line-up against the side for whom he made almost 300 appearances, whilst also giving some indication to the possible line-up that will commence the new season at Caersws on Saturday - new signings Jack Rowlands and Shaun Roscoe started, whilst fellow summer arrival Iwan Williams was amongst a youthful substitutes bench that included three of the club's famed Academy starlets.

Meanwhile, Wrexham's management duo Dean Saunders and Brian Carey used their final pre-season preparations to run a 28-man squad through training drills prior to kick off - though when it came to the match itself, only the names of Glen Little, Mathias Pogba, Obi Anoruo and Cieslewicz may have been familiar to most observers in an otherwise young side.

Despite their relative inexperience in comparison with the majority of Saunders' charges, the Wrexham X1 were dominant in the early stages but were largely met by a resolute home defence until Polish striker Cieslewicz found space to turn inside the box and fired a low shot beyond three white shirts and stopper Louis Mackin for a 12th-minute opener.

Nomads have built a strongly competitive reputation in the two seasons McGregor has been in charge, however, and they quickly sought to push and probe Wrexham's backline with Jamie Petrie shooting narrowly over from the edge of the area and Craig "Tigger" Jones forcing a corner with a dangerous through-ball after driving through midfield.

The hosts were shortly rewarded for their efforts when Ben Collins and Roscoe combined on the left to force a corner inside the 26th minute, and McIntosh met Roscoe's testing delivery with a powerful header which crept past the man on the post to level the scores.

Eight minutes later, with Nomads buoyed by the equalising goal, "Super Mac" raced through to beat visiting defender Leon Clowes to the ball before launching a spectacular dipping half-volley that flew past Joslain Mayebi in the Wrexham goal and into the far corner.

In the true end-to-end manner accustomed to pre-season friendlies, however, Wrexham quickly regrouped and were back on level terms within a couple of minutes as defender Steve Tomassen saw his powerful strike forced over the line by a combination of Mackin's palm and lurking Dragons' striker Pogba - who had earlier sent two gilt-edged opportunities waywardly over the crossbar when well-placed to score.

Pogba, brother of Manchester United's Paul, was to prove similarly wasteful after half time but not before strike-partner Anoruo was denied by a goal-line block in the Nomads area, whilst at the other end Gary O'Toole - still carrying a slight knock from Saturday's win over Cammell Laird - shot over on the turn following some good play between Roscoe and McIntosh. 

With the scores level at the break Nomads remained in contention but a naturally interrupted second period, with both sides making a number of alterations, gave the professionals the incentive to apply their fitness levels and class - with Pogba cracking a 20-yard effort onto the inside of beaten Mackin's left-hand upright to test the home side's resolve early on.

At the other end, the increasingly impressing Roscoe - who made almost 50 appearances for FC United of Manchester before featuring for Salford City - served up another enticing set piece delivery which O'Toole narrowly sent wide with a diving header.

After a host of changes saw Rob Jones, Williams and trialist Michael Robinson enter the fray for Nomads and Pogba waste one or two more chances at the other end, Cieslewicz eventually drove a strike inside the near post from the right of the box to break the stalemate with a quarter of an hour remaining - then four minutes later veteran string-puller Little capped an accomplished performance in the Wrexham midfield with a delightful lofted effort that had substitute 'keeper John Rushton beaten all ends up.

There was still time for Cieslewicz to horrendously slide a penalty wide of Rushton's post in search of a hat-trick goal before the action petered out as Academy trio Ryan Jones, Jordan Beck and Rhys Healey were granted more gametime - the latter forcing a late corner with a strong run and shot on the right flank to bring the notable action to a close.

Nomads will take more from defeat to a technically proficient, if under-strength, opposition in their final run-out before the season commences and with arguably a much stronger squad at his disposal McGregor will feel confident that his players can deliver a first-ever defence of the Huws Gray Alliance crown.

NOMADS: Louis Mackin (John Rushton 77'), Jack Rowlands (Ryan Jones 86'), Ben Collins (Jordan Beck 86'), Mark McGregor (Michael Robinson 56'), Andy Alston, Craig Jones, Jamie Petrie (Iwan Williams 66'), Danny Forde, Gary O'Toole (Rhys Healey 77'), James McIntosh, Shaun Roscoe (Rob Jones 66').

WREXHAM: Joslain Mayebi, Declan Walker (Nick Rushton 24'), Leon Clowes, Steve Tomassen, Johnny Hunt, Glen Little, Joe Clarke, Louis Moss, Mathias Pogba (Max Penk 80'), Adrian Cieslewicz, Obi Anoruo (Anthony Stephens 51').

Referee: N. Pratt (Deeside)
Attendance: 494