Wrexham did it the hard way in typical fashion but secured a vital victory over Colchester United to move up to second in League Two.
Phil Parkinson took his side to Colchester United this afternoon looking to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat against Doncaster Rovers.
As a few of their promotion rivals MK Dons, Barrow and Crewe Alexandra all dropped points, no ground was lost, giving Wrexham a huge chance to strengthen their grip in the league’s top three.
The Reds have struggled on the road this term and supporters would have feared the worst when John Akinde put the hosts in front just after half-time.
However, in a nerve-jangling promotion race with plenty of twists and turns, Parkinson needed his most experienced players to step up, so it was no surprise to see Paul Mullin score the equaliser following a fine cross from Ryan Barnett.
Mullin’s 100th Wrexham goal sparked belief that they could score the winner as youngster Max Cleworth, who has been brilliant all season, scored a header from a George Evans long throw, sparking scenes of jubilation in the away end five minutes from time.
Three points for Wrexham here was imperative, no matter how it came, with the Reds moving up to second as results elsewhere went their way.
Results go Wrexham’s way in League Two promotion race
A victory against the League Two strugglers, especially the manner of it, feels massive for Wrexham at this stage.
It’s made even bigger when supporters glance at results elsewhere and see that some of their rivals dropped points.
While Stockport County cruised to a 3-1 victory over Sutton United and MK Dons beat Forest Green 2-0, Mansfield and Barrow lost while Crewe Alexandra were held to a goalless draw with Accrington Stanley.
The manner of Mansfield’s defeat will surprise everyone as they lost 4-1 at home against play-off chasers Crawley Town whereas Barrow were beaten 2-0 by lowly Swindon.
For a long time it looked as though the Stags were nailed on for a top-three finish, but having failed to win in three, they’ve dropped down to fourth in the table, though they have two games in hand.
Four cup finals to go
To come from behind in this match showed real character and determination from the Reds.
Parkinson wouldn’t have been pleased with the manner of the performance, scoring from both of their shots on target, but the result is all that matters.
Wrexham now go into their final four games firmly in the driving seat, knowing they only have to match or better their rivals’ results to win promotion.
Three of their last four are also at home, boosting their chances of securing a top-three finish.
Wrexham are looking to get back on track as they travel to strugglers Colchester United this afternoon.
Phil Parkinson‘s men passed up a chance to punish their rivals on Tuesday night.
Although MK Dons, Barrow and Crewe Alexandra all dropped points, Wrexham were beaten 1-0 by Doncaster Rovers at the Eco-Power Stadium.
Supporters saw that result as a missed opportunity, as the prize on offer was to go five points clear of the Dons, but instead, the gap remains at two.
Wrexham are still firmly in the driving seat in the promotion race, however, Parkinson must consider changes to his starting XI today.
George Evans deserves to start at the base of midfield, switching Tom O’Connor to centre-back, while another talented player should be strongly considered for a start.
Luke Bolton was dropped at half-time against Doncaster
Wing-back Luke Bolton was taken off at half-time against Doncaster, with Parkinson revealing the substitution was purely tactical.
Replacing Bolton with Ryan Barnett, the Wrexham boss said: “I just felt we needed Barney’s bit of quality, Bolts has been great for us. But I just felt we needed to get Ryan on there, he had moments, he had a great chance to score and got some good crosses in.
“But you know, Bolts was unlucky because he’s done well for us but sometimes you’ve got to make a decision.”
The “wizard” certainly made an impression in an attacking sense against Rovers, sending six crosses into the box, two accurate long balls and completing 15 of his 19 passes.
While his second-half display suggests he deserves to start against Colchester, the statistics also reinforce that claim.
The stats that show why Ryan Barnett deserves to start v Colchester
Despite capturing Bolton from League Two rivals Salford City, Barnett has proven he’s better than his teammate at operating in that wing-back role, particularly when asked to defend.
Barnett has outperformed Bolton across various defensive metrics, including ground duels won, balls recovered, clearances per game and aerial duels won.
However, their attacking metrics make for a pretty close reading.
Here are their stats for the season compared via Sofascore.
- Games – Barnett (27), Bolton (32)
- Assists – Barnett (3), Bolton (6)
- Big chances created – Barnett (10), Bolton (10)
- Balls recovered per game – Barnett (2.9), Bolton (2.7)
- Ground duels won – Barnett (62%), Bolton (47%)
- Aerial duels won – Barnett (62%), Bolton (33%)
- Dribbled past per game – Barnett (0.2), Bolton (1)
There is little to separate the two in attack, but Barnett appears to be the better one-on-one defender and having performed well off the bench against Doncaster, he deserves to return to the starting XI this afternoon.
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