You can forgive the Wrexham AFC faithful for purring over Andy Morrell right now | OneFootball

Andy Morrell's Wrexham record that may never be broken

Few Wrexham diehards will forget the name Andy Morrell and the mark he made for the club in the 21st century.

The Doncaster native had plenty of memorable outings during his first stint as a player for the Red Dragons, perhaps none better than what the Wrexham faithful witnessed at the Racecourse Ground in the FAW Premier Cup quarter-finals in 2000.

That now-defunct competition, exclusive for Welsh sides, was in its third installment, with Wrexham winning that tournament once in its inauguration (1997-98). Just like they are now, the Red Dragons were in what was known back then as Second Division (League One), facing Merthyr Tydfil, a club hovering near the bottom of the Southern Football League table.

Andy Morrell’s FAW goalscoring exploits

There was a huge disparity between Wrexham and the Martyrs when they squared off in the last eight of the FAW Premier Cup.

Morrell was in his second season with the Red Dragons and aiming to find a permanent place in Brian Flynn’s squad. That February 16, 2000, clash would be a day Morrell and the Red Dragons would never forget.

It took just six minutes for him to open the scoring that evening, but there was plenty more to come. He doubled the advantage before the half-hour and found the back of the net five more times in the final 45 minutes as the Martyrs defence had no answer for the striker.

The other Wrexham goal that night came courtesy of Ian Stevens, who had joined them on a free transfer in July 1999.

Morrell’s seven goals still stands as a Wrexham club record for the most in a single game to this day.

In the first leg of their next match in the semi-finals versus Barry Town, Morrell struck again as his side won 4-0, advancing from that tie by that same aggregate score.

A brace by Craig Faulconbridge in the final gave them a 2-0 triumph over Cardiff City as they lifted the trophy for a second time.

At the end of that campaign, Morrell had 15 goals for Wrexham across all competitions, with more than half coming in that one match. That put him in a tie with Faulconbridge for the most on the team that season.

According to Wrexham Archives, only 390 people attended Morell’s record-setting exploits.

The impact that tournament had on Andy Morrell

When you put on a performance like Morrell had in that quarter-final fixture, it’s certain to get your manager’s attention regardless of the opponent.

Initially, it seemed to merely keep his place in the Wrexham squad, as he only featured in 20 matches domestically in 2000-01, per Transfermarkt. He would play five more league contests the following season.

As they say, patience is a virtue, though, and Morrell’s time would come in 2002-03 under manager Denis Smith. Morrell was a scoring machine for Wrexham throughout that campaign, with 34 goals to lead all players in the Third Division.

Thanks to Morrell’s clinical finishing, the Red Dragons finished third in the league with 84 points, earning an automatic berth in the Second Division, with a 10 point cushing current Premier League side Bournemouth.

Wrexham’s future Welsh Cup achievements

That FAW Premier Cup quarter-final blowout in February 2000 lit a spark in future Wrexham squads.

The Red Dragons lifted that trophy four consecutive times at the turn of the century, and many of their victories were convincing.

During that tournament’s 2000-01 edition, they topped their group with 18 goals before easing their way through the knockout stage and claiming a 2-0 triumph over Swansea City in the final.

A season later, goals were still in abundance for them as they won their final three knockout fixtures of the 2001-02 FAW Premier Cup by a combined margin of 14-1, with only Newport County scoring against them in a 6-1 final defeat.

Their record fifth victory in that competition may have been their most difficult. With Morrell leaving to join Coventry City in the summer of 2003, the Red Dragons didn’t seem to be as potent in the 2004 edition of that tournament.

They scored just four goals in their two matches leading up to the final before getting past Rhyl 4-1 in the deciding match. That competition ceased to exist after the 2007-08 season.

Since winning that competition for the fifth time in 2003-04, the Red Dragons have only claimed three more trophies, capturing the EFL Trophy the following season.

Their next tournament victory came when Morrell was Wrexham’s player/manager in 2012-13, when the club won the FA Trophy for the first and only time in club history.

The final time Wrexham lifted a trophy was the beginning of their ascension up the EFL pyramid when they edged out Notts County to win the National League in 2022-23.

The FAW Premier Cup wasn’t the only Welsh competition the Red Dragons were hugely successful in, as they did claim a record 23 Welsh Cups. Their last victory at that tournament was in 1994-95.

Ian Rush's influence on Andy Morrell

It’s safe to say Wrexham greatly impacted Morell’s footballing career.

The Newcastle Blue Star striker got his first big break with the Red Dragons thanks partly to former Sky Sports presenter Rob McCaffrey, who arranged for the youngster to have a trial for first-team manager Joey Jones. Morrell had been helping McCaffrey write an autobiography about Jones at the time.

McCaffrey may be credited with introducing the club to Morrell, but a former great Welsh striker may have been the reason he became a prolific goalscorer.

During his early days at Wrexham, Ian Rush, one of Liverpool’s top goalscorers from the early 80s until the mid-90s, was Morrell’s striker coach. Rush won five First Division (Premier League today) crowns for the Reds, along with three FA Cups and two European Cups (Champions League today).

He also won the First Division and European Cup Golden Boot awards in 1984.

Rush had a nose for the goal, just as Morrell did during his days with Wrexham. Both players were cold-blooded killers in the attacking third.

Morrell’s legacy at Wrexham

Morrell’s time with the Red Dragons will be remembered fondly by supporters, while he’s left a lasting legacy in the history of this football club.

He was four goals shy of reaching the century mark for Wrexham across all competitions and his contributions kept this club relevant in the early 2000s, before they ran into financial difficulty in the mid-part of that century shortly after his departure.

When he came back as player/manager, his wisdom was a huge asset that enabled them to achieve more glory with that 2012-13 FA Trophy triumph.

While the likes of Paul Mullin have produced some outstanding league campaigns for Wrexham recently, it’s difficult to fathom anyone breaking Morrell’s record set in that 2000 FAW quarter-final fixture.

On this weekend, some 25 years on, everyone at Wrexham should have a thought for Morrell.