Wrexham may have found the spark to fire up their Vanarama National League season.
The Dragons have had a miserable time so far in 2019-20, but but they looked revitalised when central midfield player Danny Jarvis made his debut.
Jarvis, a 21-year-old midfield player signed from Stoke City on an 18-month contract, was a major hit during Wrexham’s 3-0 home win against Woking.
Manager Dean Keates and his team are now 18th, outside the relegation zone with 15 fixtures to play.
Jarvis scored Wrexham’s second goal before limping off with cramp just after the hour and said: “I really enjoyed it,. As debuts go, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.
“I came off with cramp sadly, but the fans were outstanding. They welcomed me with open arms, and it was a fantastic day for the club.
https://twitter.com/Wrexham_AFC/status/1219195325489057793?s=20
“Everybody played their part in a fantastic all-round performance.
“The ball fell nicely for me when I scored. It was fate on my debut, a dream came true.
“I am intent on scoring goals and creating assists for my team-mates. JJ [Hooper] will score goals. I am confident of that and if I keep giving him the ball he will end up putting it in the back of the net.
“The bunch of lads at Wrexham are brilliant.”
Luke Summerfield scored twice for Wrexham (14 and 78 minutes), while Jarvis found the net two minutes after half-time.
Woking had Jamar Loza sent off with 68 minutes gone as Wrexham powered to victory in front of 3,671 spectators at the Racecourse.
Jarvis was adamant the cramp which forced him off the pitch is not a major problem, saying: “We will work on that and improve my match fitness up.
“I have not played that many games this season so hopefully I can get back to that.”
Manager Keates was delighted with his new signing and said: “He showed glimpses of what he is about, a confident young lad who is a good football player and can play in numerous positions.
“He is somebody to look out for over the next few years and will play a big part in getting this club to where it needs to be – hopefully that is back in the Football League.”
“It is not that he [Jarvis] has not played 90 minutes this season. He has played a fair few, but that is the welcome to men’s football. That is relentless, non-stop, but I have no doubt the lad has enjoyed it.”
Keates also said on-loan winger Omari Patrick, an unused substitute against Woking, has returned to Bradford City. He scored five goals in 10 games for Wrexham, but has elected to return to the League Two club.
Keates also gave Scottish midfield player Davis Keillor-Dunn, aged 22 and signed from Ross County, his debut from the substitutes bench.
The manager is also working to add to his squad before Saturday’s National League trip to Harrogate, who are second in the table.
But the Reds boss is also looking for fringe players to exit The Racecourse during the January transfer window.
“I am not as close as I want to be with outs,” said Keates.
“There are a few who turned down the opportunity, but there are one or two more potential things in the pipeline for one or two to go out.
“Ultimately it is the player’s decision. If they want to go out and play football that it is their decision.
“Coming in, I would like to think that we could add one or two before this weekend’s game.
“There are a few positions I am looking at, we’ve made a couple of offers and are waiting to see what happens.”
Following the trip to Harrogate, Wrexham play Dagenham and Redbridge at home before going to Derbyshire club Chesterfield. Both are below Wrexham in the table and the Dragons will be looking to climb the table.
Wrexham: (5-2-2-1): Lainton, Jennings, Pearson (capt), Lawlor, Kennedy, Carrington (Reid 88), Summerfield, Young, Jarvis (Keillor-Dunn 63), Rutherford, Hooper (Oswell 90+1). Subs not used: Dibble (gk), Patrick.
Woking: (4-3-3): Ross, Cook, Casey (capt), Gerring, Diarra, Tarpey (Wall 56), Ferdinand, Hyde, Poku, Donnellan (Neufville 56), Loza. Subs not used: Howes (gk), Parry, Collier.
Referee: Andrew Miller (County Durham)
Attendance: 3,671 (away 83)
Former Cardiff City manager Russell Slade has left National League North Hereford. Slade took charge in August, but Hereford have won only once since October 1.
Chairman Andrew Graham said: “Unfortunately the existing business commitments of Russell Slade do not meet with the current demands of this football club.
“We appreciate that Russell inherited an extremely difficult situation, but we find ourselves in a tough position.
“I thank Russell for his hard work.”
Senior defender Josh Gowling, aged 36, is taking charge of the Hereford first team on a temporary basis.
“Josh will remain in charge for the foreseeable future while the search for a permanent manager starts,” said Graham. “We will not be rushing into making a hasty appointment.”
Wrexham FC remaining fixturess this season
January
Saturday 25 Harrogate v Wrexham
February
Saturday 1 Wrexham v Dagenham and Redbridge
Saturday 8 Chesterfield v Wrexham
Saturday 15 Wrexham v Torquay United
Saturday 22 Bromley v Wrexham
Saturday 29 Yeovil v Wrexham
March
Saturday 7 Wrexham v Eastleigh
Saturday 14 Barrow v Wrexham
Saturday 21 Wrexham v Boreham Wood
Saturday 28 Halifax v Wrexham
April
Saturday 4 Wrexham v Dover
Friday 10 Wrexham v Hartlepool
Monday 13 Barnet v Wrexham
Saturday 18 Wrexham v Notts County
Saturday 25 Stockport v Wrexham
Vanarama National League table
| | HOME | | AWAY | |||||||||||||
| P | W | D | L | F | A | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Barrow | 29 | 10 | 2 | 3 | 28 | 11 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 31 | 19 | +29 | 58 |
| 2 | Harrogate | 31 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 25 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 24 | 24 | +12 | 55 |
| 3 | Yeovil | 31 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 30 | 18 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 26 | 20 | +18 | 53 |
| 4 | Bromley | 31 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 34 | 19 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 18 | 22 | +11 | 50 |
| 5 | Boreham W | 30 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 21 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 24 | 16 | +13 | 48 |
| 6 | Notts Co | 30 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 25 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 21 | 17 | +15 | 47 |
| 7 | Halifax | 30 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 24 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 18 | 22 | 0 | 46 |
| 8 | Stockport | 31 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 26 | 25 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 18 | 21 | -2 | 46 |
| 9 | Solihull M | 29 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 25 | 12 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 17 | 18 | +12 | 45 |
| 10 | Woking | 30 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 17 | 18 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 24 | 28 | -5 | 44 |
| 11 | Hartlepool | 31 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 22 | 22 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 24 | 23 | +1 | 41 |
| 12 | Dover | 29 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 20 | 23 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 14 | -2 | 41 |
| 13 | Torquay | 31 | 7 | 1 | 7 | 24 | 26 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 28 | 31 | -5 | 41 |
| 14 | Barnet | 28 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 22 | 16 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 19 | 19 | +6 | 40 |
| 15 | Sutton Utd | 31 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 26 | 23 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 14 | +3 | 40 |
| 16 | Aldershot | 30 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 24 | 21 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 21 | -6 | 38 |
| 17 | Eastleigh | 29 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 18 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 19 | 27 | -6 | 37 |
| 18 | Wrexham | 31 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 23 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 10 | 17 | 27 | -3 | 35 |
| 19 | Maidenhead | 31 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 15 | 22 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 22 | 26 | -11 | 35 |
| 20 | Dag & Red | 30 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 23 | 21 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 18 | -7 | 33 |
| 21 | Chesterfield | 31 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 20 | 27 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 21 | 26 | -12 | 33 |
| 22 | Fylde | 29 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 17 | 22 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 18 | 25 | -12 | 30 |
| 23 | Ebbsfleet | 30 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 19 | 30 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 19 | 30 | -22 | 25 |
| 24 | Chorley | 31 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 24 | 1 | 8 | 7 | 17 | 31 | -27 | 25 |