Matty James recalls his last FA Cup clash against Nottingham as the midfielder hopes to go for a win with Wrexham this time.
An unpopular opinion, but Wrexham’s Derby County win last week remains underappreciated to a large extent. Despite making it 4 consecutive Championship wins for the first time, the 2-1 result got away with the other victories in a clearance sale.
What makes it further more startling is that it was one of the trickiest wins of Wrexham’s festive period success.
Though the Dragons stood dominant from the beginning, Ben Brereton’s equaliser must’ve fans having flashbacks of a draw. Especially, how the same scorer in a similar day-night game sent Wrexham leader Hyam to the wrong side before scoring.
Given that it was followed by Derby attacks, it would have added to Wrexham fans’ pressure until Matty James came to save the day.
It may sound exaggerated, but there’s something about Matty that needs much more appreciation than he gets. Always serving as a dugout leader, James backs his age critics with tremendous performances. This time it included a “Rolls-Royce volley” to win it for Wrexham.
Without a doubt, another excellent display would be expected of Matty against Nottingham next. And what better? Given that he has a score to settle with Forest in the FA Cup.
Matty James seeks revenge against Nottingham Forest
With Wrexham’s last clash against Forest dating back to 1993, it’s fair to assume a lot of Dragons would have their inaugural faceoff here. Guess what? Matty is one of the rare ones who’s not just played Nottingham, but in the same FA Cup competition, that too recently.
As quoted by the Leader Live, Matty recalled that experience, saying: “My last run in the cup at Bristol City, we got West Ham and Nottingham Forest so it was two good games.”
That could’ve been not just good but best if not for a penalty shootout heartbreak for James and Bristol City. Still, the 34-year-old ought to take pride in knocking West Ham, while being at a mid-table Championship club.
Who knows, if the Nottingham success is written in Matty’s fortune, only with Wrexham?
Would there be a replay if Wrexham Vs Nottingham draw?
Not discrediting Wrexham’s blistering form, but it’s well known that their best chances of knocking Forest pass through a draw. This follows the question of whether a full 90-minute clash would happen in the case of a tie.
Long story, short. No, there isn’t a provision for a replay even if the regular 90 minutes fail to find a winner. While the rules required a rematch at the opposition’s home ground earlier, the modification with effect from the 2024/25 season provides for a one-off result.
Interestingly, should Wrexham and Nottingham share a score, two 15-minute extra time halves would be facilitated after full-time. If that ends in a draw again, the ultimate decider would be a penalty shoot-out between the two sides.
Who should be Wrexham’s penalty-takers?
Despite having had a history based in the lower EFL Tiers, Wrexham & penalty encounters have been a long story. To say this trend has just improved in recent times wouldn’t be wrong, with the club seeing at least one game advanced to the shoutout each season.
Naturally, that should fall in Wrexham’s favour, right? The truth is, it doesn’t due to the club’s burn-and-churn player policy.
While various players have stepped up to the spot for Wrexham, only a handful of them remain now. And the problem only deepens knowing that most of them, like Captain James McClean, Josh Windass and Elliot Lee, might not make this fixture.
Still, calling up the most experienced names for the task shouldn’t go wrong. Here’s a speculated five, with Kieffer Moore, Matty James, Nathan Broadhead, Ollie Rathbone, and Sam Smith firing up shots for the Dragons in order.
Again, even if Wrexham make it to the penalties, it ought to be a massive psychological win for the club. Still, the best result would be a win, and no fan should write off a major upset here.
