FC United of Wrexham off the mark at last – and in style!

They’ve done it!

At the eighth time of asking this season, and after seven mainly crushing defeats, FC United of Wrexham have recorded a league win.

Andrew Ruscoe’s side came up trumps today with an 8-1 thrashing of Bellevue at Bronwens Green.

It was their first victory since December 2021 and only a second-ever for the club which joined the North East Wales Football League at the start of 2021-22.

The only team they had previously beaten was….Bellevue. A Daniel Roberts hat-trick helped FCUW topple the multicultural battlers 6-4 on December 4, 2021.

So today saw FC United achieve their highest ever win – and just a second victory in 22 league matches.

After earning a win and a draw in their debut season, the current campaign has been shaping up much worse for FCUW with seven straight losses and 49 goals conceded, including two 8-0 canings, a 7-0 drubbing and a highly-forgettable 16-2 spanking at the hands of Acton.

It has been a tough road for Ruscoe’s Raiders, but today the pain all became worth it as they swept aside opponents who are pretty similar in ability, but more experienced in terms of playing competitive football.

Shane Burke set the ball rolling by putting the hosts ahead on 10 minutes, but Bellevue equalised soon after through Adam Rush.

Burke struck again in the 16th minute, Chris Roberts with the assist, and it remained 2-1 to FCUW until half time.

The home side really upped the ante in the second half, Roberts extending the lead to 4-1 with goals on 60 and 70 minutes.

Zimbabwean signing Mtilisi Ndlovu made it five with his first goal for the club, Burke put away a penalty to complete a hat-trick and Osian Jones ensured FCUW scored seven in a match for the first time.

And there was still enough left on the clock for Chris Roberts to become the second home player to score a treble.

Aston Jones and Daniel Roberts are the only other players to register hat-tricks for the club.

After the game, a delighted manager Ruscoe said: “These lads have done us proud. After all the hardships we have gone through lately we are all over the moon to have won 8-1 and get our first competitive win in over a year.

“My first win as gaffer too. I’m proud of them all.”

Ruscoe had a spell on the management team at Cymru North club Prestatyn Town last season and is a former goalkeeper for Cefn Druids, Rhydymwyn and Brickfield Rangers among other clubs, as well as a GB Futsal goalkeeping coach.

FC UNITED OF WREXHAM – TODAY’S WINNING TEAM
Andrew Ruscoe
Daniel Riley (Miroslav Ivanov 72)
Jack Verburg
Daniel Buck
Mthulisi Ndlovu
David Hughes
Bruno De Sousa
Chris Roberts
Taylor Edwards (Tony Ratcliffe 65)
Lee Setter (Osian Jones 70)
Shane Burke

FC United of Wrexham league results
2021-22
July 3: Connah’s Quay Town (h) 0-7
July 17: Bellevue (h) 3-3 (Aston Jones 3)
July 23: Ruabon Rovers (a) 2-4 (Aston Jones, Callum Parry)
July 31: CPD Sychdyn (a) 2-6 (Callum Parry 2)
Aug 14: Penyffordd Lions (a) 2-12 (Rhys McDermott, Aston Jones)
Aug 21: Caerwys (a) 3-9 (Matthew Wareham, Ashley Dawson, Samuel Postle)
Sep 11: Johnstown YFC (h) 6-6 (Aston Jones 3, 2 pens, Geraint Yarwood 2, Kirk Ratcliffe)
Oct 2: Ruabon Rovers (h) 1-11 (Callum Parry)
Oct 16: Sychdyn (h) 0-5
Nov 20: Connah’s Quay Town (a) 0-5
Dec 4: Bellevue (h) 6-4 (Jordan Howell, Daniel Roberts 3, Matthew Wareham, Liam Jones)
Dec 11: Penyffordd Lions (h) 1-10 (Callum Parry)
Jan 15: Johnstown YFC (a) 3-4 (Luke Daniels, Aston Jones, Callum Parry)
Feb 26: Caerwys (h) 1-9 (Tony Ratcliffe)
Played 14 Won 1 Drawn 1 Lost 12 GF 30 GA 95

2022-23
Aug 6: Overton Recreation (h) 1-4 (Chris Roberts)
Aug 13: CPD Gronant (a) 0-8
Aug 20: Caerwys (h) 0-8
Oct 1: CPD Sychdyn (a) 1-2 (Osian Jones)
Oct 29: Saltney Ferry (a) 1-4 (Daniel Riley)
Nov 5: Acton (h) 2-16 (Miroslav Ivanov, Kirk Ratcliffe)
Nov 12: Aston Park Rangers (h) 0-7
Nov 26: Bellevue (h) 8-1 (Chris Roberts 3, Shane Burke 3, Osian Roberts, Mtilisi Ndlovu)
Played: 8 Won 1 Lost 7 GF 13 GA 50