A look back at three historic games between Bournemouth and Wrexham

It used to be a regular fixture in the lower leagues, but the last time the two sides met was way back in April 2005.

Goals that day in north Wales from Stephen Purches and Wade Elliott earned Sean O’Driscoll’s men a 2-1 victory.

Cherries just missed out on the League One play-offs that season, while Wrexham were relegated, having been deducted 10 points for going into administration.

And while Wrexham are now in League One again, things are in a very different position for both clubs.

Owned by Hollywood acting duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, the Red Dragons have hauled themselves up out of non-league and back into the third tier and are very much on an upward trajectory.

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As are Cherries, finishing mid-table in the Premier League last term, backed by American billionaire Bill Foley.

The game in Santa Barbara this Saturday highlights the standing both clubs now have in the modern footballing world, with the game at the 17,000-seater Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara a sell-out.

These two clubs contested some historic battles in the 2000s.

Wrexham were the first visitors to the newly-opened Fitness First Stadium (Image: Andy Horsfield)

Cherries 3-0 Wrexham, November 2001

Wrexham were the first ever visitors to the Fitness First Stadium in November 2001.

Dean Court was rebuilt that year, the pitch rotated 90 degrees, but the work was not done in time for the start of the 2001-02 Division Two season.

As such, the club played their first eight home games of the season at the Avenue Stadium in Dorchester.

The stadium was ready for Cherries to host Wrexham on November 10, the hosts running out resounding 3-0 winners with goals coming from Brian Stock, James Hayter and Jason Tindall.

A crowd of around 6,000 crammed in to watch (Image: Andy Horsfield)

Other names to feature for Cherries that day included Eddie Howe, Warren Feeney, Carl Fletcher and Richard Hughes.

Only two stands were open, but 6,000 fans crammed in, while others watched from the nearby trees.

Cherries: Stewart, Broadhurst, Howe, Tindall, Purches, Fletcher, Stock (Hughes, 65), Elliott, Holmes, Hayter, Feeney (Bernard, 75 (O’Connor, 83)).

Cherries were relegated at Wrexham in 2002 (Image: Richard Crease)

Wrexham 2-1 Cherries, April 2002

But it turned out to be a sad end to that season for both clubs, each suffering relegation.

Wrexham turned the tables on Cherries in the reverse fixture, running out 2-1 victors.

Cherries’ relegation was confirmed after that game on the final day of the campaign.

Carl Fletcher gave Cherries an early lead, only to later get sent off.

The score was 1-1 at that point, Andy Morrell having equalised.

Then, in the closing minutes, Trinidad & Tobago international Carlos Edwards grabbed the winner.

As it turned out, due to results elsewhere, the damage had already been done and Cherries would have been relegated regardless. But it was on April 20 at the Racecourse Ground where their fate was confirmed.

Cherries: Stewart, Young, Tindall, Maher, C Fletcher, Elliott (Thomas, 83), Stock (O’Connor, 77), Purches, Holmes, Hayter, Feeney.

James Hayter came off the bench to score a hat-trick (Image: Mick Cunningham)

Cherries 6-0 Wrexham, February 2004

Probably the most famous meeting between these two clubs has recently celebrated its 20th anniversary.

Again in Division Two, the third tier, Cherries led 3-0 just before the hour mark against 10-man Wrexham with Stephen Purches, Warren Cummings and Warren Feeney all finding the net.

The contest appeared to be winding down when James Hayter came off the bench in the 84th minute to replace Steve Fletcher.

By the 88th minute it was 6-0, Hayter bagging a remarkable hat-trick, etching February 24, 2004 in Cherries folklore forever.

The striker’s three goals in two minutes and 21 seconds remains the fastest hat-trick in Football League history, beating the previous record of Gillingham’s Jimmy Scarth in 1952.

Cherries: Moss, Buxton, Maher, Cummings, Jorgensen (O’Connor, 82), Elliott, C Fletcher, Browning, Purches (Stock, 81), Feeney, S Fletcher (Hayter, 84).