CM 97/98 Tales from Wales – Part 6 – Wrex-Bomb

It’s a new week and Matt is here to start things with a bang, or a bomb in this case. A Wrex-bomb. Is this just another Welsh related gag or is there more to it? Let’s find out.

Suddenly we’re nearing the end of Season 2 – thanks for sticking with me so far. You know the drill by now, Welsh club, only Welsh players and we’re in charge of the national team too.

Last time out we were looking good for a second successive promotion and young starlets Stephen Pugh and Kristian Hartson were putting in some promising performances. Here’s how it all looked in part 5:

First up its cup action in the Windscreen Shield and the exotically named David D’Auria (born in Swansea) opens the scoring against Shewsbury, but we need young striker Scott Morgan to get us over line after Knill puts one past his own. The area final awaits.

League action now and its against title rivals Fulham. Morgan on it again, but as Jason Donovan sang ‘Nothing Can Divide Us’

Gillingham up next and their pursuing us in 3rd. Scott Young is keeping Big Kev out of defense and his second half header past Shaka gives all 3 lovely points at Preistfield.

Look at this, Morgan had his chance to take home the match ball but he blew it. Impressive win considering we were losing 2-0 early doors…

Hartson gets both an early goal and a red card but D’Auria and Morgan have too much for Wycombe and we’re on a roll

Look at this – Super Hero Jar-Man is back at the Ninian. I knew his spell at Bolton would do him no favours. Profit on that.

Jar-Man will have to wait for his second debut with Knill and Young is good form. Hartson fire still (Rocky 4) but we settle for a point a piece in the Severn derby

Area Final time and the first leg is a cagey encounter which we only edge from the spot, still work to do in the return leg.

We’re into March now but Preston stop us in our tracks. I thought having Dale back up top might mean we are more potent in front of goal

I did the ‘Round the Twiss’ gag last week. So I’ll go with ‘just want your extra time and your….Twiss’. It’s a trophy that looks unlikely to ever be in our cabinet.

Well, no point moping about it, back to the league with a wallop. Welsh players have very emotive surnames don’t they? Young. Rush. Speed. Cross. Errr….Gunter….

This feels like the first time in ages that the D&G combo have scored in a game, but we lose to a bunch of film stars and writers in Thora Birch, Jennifer Garner, Dennis Potter and Russell Crowe – not sure what type of film it would be though…

Euro 2000 qualifying time now and…..I think I’m lucky to still be in a job after this display. Bulgaria just had far too much for this team….

Oh, well at least this time around Cardiff win after International week – ‘Wrexham, Wrexham, you’re a Wrexham and you can give it to me when I need to come along….’

Silverware for the Toon, magic sponge for John.

We’re pushing on for that promotion now. I’m feeling like I have a settled team. I’m getting to know these lads, they seem to like my Shakin’ Stevens cassettes in the changing room.

We’re purring now, like some sort of new pussycat.

There’s no Twiss in the tale for Brentford

Minus Man David Parry and leftback Kevin Lloyd see us home against Brighton on Easter Monday. Kevin Ratcliffe is annoyed with me as he heard B&Q were doing a Bank Holiday special on 20ft fencing (QK).

As Dame Shirley sang ‘This is just a little bit of history repeating’

Kevin Lloyd with the winner again!

Memories of the Bulgarian nightmare are put to bed for the moment. Mark Hughes, still playing for Chelsea. As national manager, I don’t want him to retire. As Cardiff boss, I want his regen – conflicted.

While Wales are doing that, Cardiff are doing this and we’re inching closer to Division 1 it seems.

A point from our final two games should do it…

We’ve smashed the 100 goals barrier and we’re going up! Perfect that Carl Dale gets our hundreth league goal, what a legend

We just need to beat Fulham to the title now in our last game…

We bottle it, but Fulham lose too and we go up as Champs!

Gillingham couldn’t quite catch us in the end and will have to make do with the playoff lottery. Fulham and Gillingham putting us to shame defensively though.

At the bottom, Wrexham disappear from view

Squad goal charts, and it’s all about Dale, but not a bad spread around the rest of the team. Graham’s injuries could have meant more from him, but Hartson rised up to the challenge of his rivals.

Resigning Jar-Man had to make do with being a reserve with O’Leary, Knill and Young in such fine form. Wigg will be back next season, it’ll be like a new signing.

With the league season over and promotion assured, time to check out the other cup action.

Milan take the Cup Winners Cup.