On a night when Phil Parkinson turned to what is effectively his backup XI, Wrexham’s abundance of playing riches was clear for all to see.
Lining up against Salford City in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy were summer signings Dan Scarr, Seb Revan, Lewis Brunt and Callum Burton. All arrived with impressive pedigrees — not least a combined five EFL promotions — and will be looking to play a big role in the League One campaign despite spending the opening few weeks on the bench.
Also starting the League One leaders’ opening Group B fixture were James Jones and Will Boyle, who boasted nearly 50 League Two appearances between them last season. And then there was the strikeforce of Paul Mullin and Mo Faal, Wrexham’s goalscoring talisman and club-record £500,000 ($650,000) signing respectively.
With such talent on show, no wonder the attendance for a 2-1 home victory was a healthy 6,640 — way above the crowds of 693 and 851 who had watched the previous ties in this group at Salford and Port Vale.
Mullin, on his first start since undergoing back surgery in the summer, stole the show with a stunning curled finish. But there was still plenty of interest in strike partner Faal, the 21-year-old making his debut after joining from West Bromwich Albion on deadline day. So, how did the Gambian-born new boy do?
Welshpool’s back.
🔴⚪️ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/ZUkdUmAhiX
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) September 10, 2024
Perhaps the best place to start is with a bit of background…
Faal’s senior breakthrough came last season when he spent time on loan at Doncaster Rovers and Walsall in League Two. He netted 13 league goals, plus another couple in the FA Cup and EFL Trophy.
The below analysis of those league strikes shows how deadly he can be from close range, with all 13 being scored from inside the penalty area. Many of these were first-time efforts on goal, suggesting he does not lack confidence when an opportunity comes along.
Five of those were headers, including his first EFL goal in Doncaster’s 2-1 loss at Wrexham in September last year when he coolly nodded the ball between Boyle and Ollie Palmer on the line.
With an expected goals (xG) of 14.8, his final tally was slightly under par. But Faal’s willingness to try his luck with either foot is encouraging, as is the aerial threat he poses at 6ft 5in (195cm).
His League Two goals return is made all the more impressive by the fact that neither Doncaster nor Walsall were exactly flying during his stay. Eventual play-offs qualifiers Rovers, for instance, were 19th when Faal played his 25th and final appearance for them on January 6.
Only Joe Ironside, a striker Wrexham had enquired about in the summer of 2023, had netted more for Rovers than Faal’s seven league goals at that stage of the campaign.
At Walsall, he made more appearances from the bench (11) than starts (nine) but he still contributed some impressive goals, most notably against Harrogate Town when, after collecting a raking pass 35 yards out, he rounded off a fine breakaway by curling in from just inside the penalty area.
⚽️ New loan signing Mo Faal has already scored 9⃣ goals in all competitions so far this season
🤞 Fingers crossed for even more in a #Saddlers shirt! pic.twitter.com/VuzJ4j3wCc
— Walsall FC Official (@WFCOfficial) January 15, 2024
Did anything else stand out from that first taste of EFL action?
Doncaster manager Grant McCann was not best pleased when Faal cut short his stay to return to The Hawthorns in mid-January before subsequently going out on loan to Walsall. But, before that, he’d been pleased with the young loanee, even suggesting to BBC Radio Sheffield in mid-October that he would be “unplayable” in two to three years.
Plenty of work went into developing Faal at Rovers, including McCann sitting down with him to watch video footage of Peterborough United striker Jonson Clarke-Harris. He also encouraged the loanee to spend more time between the posts, as opposed to drifting too wide.
Those words clearly sunk in, as shown by how so many of his goals came from central areas. Walsall manager Mat Sadler was also impressed, telling the Express and Star in April how Faal reminded him of Luton Town striker Elijah Adebayo during his own spell with the West Midlands club.
🗣️ “I have had a smile on my face since I’ve been here. I’m excited and thoroughly buzzing to be here – I can’t wait to get started.”
Mo Faal on signing for Wrexham AFC 🙌
🔴⚪️ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/0EB4EHTdfI
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) August 30, 2024
So, how did Faal perform on his Wrexham debut?
On a night when the hosts looked disjointed at times, especially across the centre of the field where four wing-backs occupied the five starting XI slots, judging anyone’s true potential wasn’t easy.
But Faal was a handful in the air, winning a series of headers despite Salford’s best attempts to disrupt the striker with a sly push here and a pull there. He also protected the ball well when played into feet, a trait that is integral to how Wrexham play as this allows the midfield to advance en masse.
He’s also clearly a work-in-progress. At times, the debutant drifted too deep, meaning he and Mullin were too far apart to link up effectively if Wrexham had the chance to break.
There was one wild shot on goal that flew high and wide, and a needless booking midway through the first half for hacking Haji Mnoga to the floor.
Nevertheless, Parkinson was pleased with Faal’s efforts before being substituted 12 minutes from time. “He worked well for the team,” said the Wrexham manager, whose side prevailed against Salford thanks to a late Boyle goal.
“Maybe he tried a bit too hard a couple of times, such as that shot from 35 yards. But that’s to be expected because he’s a young lad who is keen to show everyone how good he is.
“The more he trains with us, the better he will become. He’s a good lad, hungry to improve, and he has fitted in really well with the group.”
(Top photo: Adam Fradgley/West Bromwich Albion FC via Getty Images)
