Wrexham have moved to strengthen their squad by signing striker Bobby Grant from League One Fleetwood Town on loan.
Grant, aged 28, goes straight into the Dragons squad for Tuesday’s Vanarama National League match at Barrow.
The signing came too late for ex-Blackpool, Accrington and Scunthorpe Grant to be involved in the home match against Leyton Orient on Saturday.
Title rivals Wrexham and Orient fought out a tough match with the Londoners earning a 2-0 win thanks to two late goals.
http://https://youtu.be/EvT_gGWVdkc
The defeat was Wrexham’s first in 12 games and their first at the Racecourse since Ricketts took charge.
“I’m bitterly disappointed in the result, but not in the performance,” he said. “We were very good, controlled. The better team.
“There some really, really good chances and we didn’t take them.
“We gave ourselves an unbelievable chance to win the game with the level of performance. It’s probably worse when you play really well and don’t earn the result you wanted.
“I’m not worried about the unbeaten run ending.
“One mistake, from a set piece, cost us the game. The second goal is irrelevant – we were chasing the game by then – but the first one really hurt us. We did more than enough to get the first goal and we just couldn’t quite score.”
http://https://youtu.be/disYDoy92zc
Ricketts is delighted to have added Grant to his squad, saying: “Bobby has joined on loan until January and will be in training on Monday morning.
“He is another good addition to the squad and another good step in the right direction of what we are trying to do here.
“I have been speaking to Bobby for a while, but we have been a little bit tied up because of how many loans we had.
“Now that Rob Lainton’s loan has become a permanent deal, Scott Burgess’ spell with us ended and Freddie Hinds has gone back to Bristol City we are able to do something.
“He is an extremely good League One player who found himself out of favour.
“It is testament to our club that he wants to come here. He is a League One player who has had interest from League sides. He can’t go anywhere because they’re not in the transfer window and he has jumped at the opportunity to come here and get some games.
http://https://youtu.be/94_kjkBVPkE
“That is testament to the size of the club and what we are doing here this season, that he is willing to come and join us.”
Wrexham suffered their first home defeat of the season after league leaders Orient scored twice in the final five minutes to extend their lead at the top.
In a game of few chances, Orient proved more clinical with the opportunities that fell their way with Macauley Bonne and James Brophy scoring.
The defeat means Orient are now four points clear of the third-placed Dragons in the Vanarama National League.
Wrexham made three changes from the draw at Maidstone, including the return of goalscorer Brad Walker to the starting line-up ahead of Akil Wright.
Stuart Beavon and Mark Carrington also returned, with Mike Fondop and James Jennings joining Wright on the bench.
Orient went ahead five minutes from time when a corner fell loose in the area and top scorer Bonne hooked a shot high into the net.
https://twitter.com/Wrexham_AFC/status/1066691140450168838
Substitute Brophy sealed victory in the 90th minute after Jake Lawlor’s weak header forced Lainton to head clear – only for the Orient man to lob straight back into an empty net.
Wrexham AFC (4-3-3): Lainton, Roberts, Lawlor, Pearson, Carrington, Walker, Young, Summerfield, Rutherford (Jennings 78), Pyke (Maguire-Drew 82), Beavon (Fondop 78). Subs not used: Dibble, Wright.
Leyton Orient (4-4-1-1): Brill, Judd, Ekpiteta, Coulson, Widdowson, Coulson, Dayton (Brophy 68), Clay, Gorman (Alabi 85), McAnuff, Koroma, Bonne. Subs not used: Janata, Happe, Harrold.
Referee: David Rock (Hertfordshire)
Attendance: 6,428 (away 603)
| P | W | D | L | GD | PTS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Leyton Orient | 21 | 13 | 7 | 1 | +29 | 46 |
| 2 | Salford | 21 | 12 | 7 | 2 | +24 | 43 |
| 3 | Wrexham | 21 | 12 | 6 | 3 | +14 | 42 |
| 4 | Harrogate T | 20 | 11 | 7 | 2 | +18 | 40 |
| 5 | Solihull M | 21 | 12 | 4 | 5 | +11 | 40 |
