Wrexham (Tuesday, October 8)

THERE is a real sense of history about the Racecourse Ground and as night falls in North Wales, this famous stadium comes to life under the floodlights.

With its claim to be the oldest international football ground in the world, Wrexham was once the regular home of the Welsh national team, and in 1992 it staged one of the all-time great FA Cup upsets.

Yet for a stadium with such a rich heritage, the Racecourse Ground has seen some dark times lately.

Having failed to regain their place in the Football League, Wrexham currently languish at the wrong end of the Skrill Premier table, meaning the memory of Mickey Thomas and that legendary win over Arsenal 21 years ago feels more distant than ever.

Wrexham may be a Non-League club in name, but this is still very much a Football League facility. It is also an extremely welcoming place to visit – a quality that can sometimes be missing at the bigger grounds in this division.

The smartly-furnished Centenary Club, housed beneath the old Yale Stand, is among an impressive range of bars within the ground where supporters gather ahead of kick-off. The variety of drinks available is more suited to a town centre bar than a football ground, and most punters seem happy to settle for a pint at £2.95.

We are also spoilt for choice when it comes to catering, ranging from the usual snack bar food to pub grub and pre-match hospitality, which happens to be out of my price range but is rated highly by the supporters who take their seats nearby.

The £3 programme has a case for being the best publication in Non-League football, though an admission price of £19 is among the more expensive.

In its heyday, you sense the old Kop must have generated quite an atmosphere, but the sight of this derelict bank of terracing at one end of the ground is now the only blemish on an otherwise excellent set-up.

The modern design of the Mold Road Stand provides an impressive centrepiece overlooking the two other used stands and new developments are in the pipeline according to one of the stewards.

A crowd of 2,734 is Wrexham’s second lowest of the season and the longer their team wait for a goal, the more restless the home fans become.

The first half was one-way traffic in Wrexham’s favour, but a double substitution from Southport at the interval results in a riveting second period.

Both sides created a number of chances but poor finishing betrayed a lack of confidence. That was until striker Joe Anyinsah finally broke the deadlock 15 minutes from time, and the relief among the home crowd was palpable.

This may not have been one of the Racecourse Ground’s famous nights, but Wrexham fans will hope it is one step on the road towards recapturing former glories.