Wrexham are through to the quarter-finals of the EFL Trophy after beating Port Vale 4-1 away from home on Tuesday night.
Wrexham picked up a vital League One win over the weekend, beating Crawley Town 2-1 on the road.
Phil Parkinson’s attention turned to the EFL Trophy on Tuesday night with Wrexham finally taking on Port Vale.
Wrexham’s original trip to Port Vale was postponed in January but Tuesday’s game went ahead as planned.
Wrexham suffered a nightmare start though with Ronan Curtis finding the net inside 20 seconds.
After a shaky start, Wrexham eventually took control and found the net four times through Andy Cannon, Harry Ashfield, Elliot Lee and Modou Faal.
Wrexham have moved another step closer to Wembley with Tuesday’s win, so let’s dig into five talking points after the victory.
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Ryan Longman produces dazzling display
The big team news was a first Wrexham start for new signing Ryan Longman following his arrival from Hull City.
Longman started as Wrexham’s right wing back and showed that he could be serious competition for Ryan Barnett.
Longman set up not one but two goals for Wrexham with some outstanding wing play, almost reminiscent of Barnett himself.
Direct, quick and showing great balance, Longman showed great quality with his two assists – both balls into the box from wide areas.
Taking Barnett’s spot in the starting XI won’t be easy, but this was an almost perfect first start for Longman in a Wrexham shirt.
Harry Ashfield catches the eye
Wrexham’s rise through the leagues has largely come thanks to proven, experienced players who have offered the quality to secure back-to-back promotions.
As Wrexham continue to grow, there will be more impetus on the youth setup and bringing players through the ranks.
Max Cleworth is a great example but Wrexham will want more – and Harry Ashfield certainly caught the eye on Tuesday night.
Ashfield featured up front alongside Modou Faal and did himself no harm by brilliantly finishing from inside the box to put Wrexham 2-1 up.
Wrexham now have so many strikers but 18-year-old Ashfield showed more than enough talent to suggest that he could have a first-team future down the line – just like Cleworth.
Arthur Okonkwo responds
Phil Parkinson admitted a mistake over Arthur Okonkwo having thrown him back into first-team action after a wrist injury.
Okonkwo was poor against Stevenage and therefore dropped against Crawley over the weekend, but came back in against Port Vale.
Maybe Okonkwo could have done better with the Curtis goal, but it was a snapshot when Sebastian Revan appeared to have dealt with the danger.
We won’t hold that one against Okonkwo and he came up with a string of fine saves to keep Port Vale at bay.
Whether that is enough for Okonkwo to get straight back into the first XI is unclear, but it was an assured performance and a strong response to being benched.
Sebastian Revan’s up-and-down night
Parkinson handed a chance to Sebastian Revan at left wing back as he looks to make an impact.
Big things were expected of Revan after a strong pre-season but it hasn’t quite happened for him this term.
Revan struggled at Harrogate Town earlier this season and has been looking to get back to his best.
The trip to Port Vale was a mixed affair with Revan seemingly getting stuck on the ball, teeing up Curtis to score.
Revan wasn’t great defensively but at least showed some of his attacking quality, crossing for Faal to score Wrexham’s fourth goal.
This display may not have been enough to supplant James McClean in the Wrexham starting XI in League One, but Revan will at least be pleased to have atoned for his early error with a great assist.
Another step closer to Wembley
Wrexham have used the EFL Trophy to regularly give minutes to fringe players and get everybody up to speed for League One action.
That hasn’t always worked with a couple of injuries popping up along the way, but the EFL Trophy campaign has largely been a success.
Now into the quarter-finals against Bolton Wanderers, Wrexham are moving closer and closer to Wembley.
Wrexham lost a Wembley final back in 2022, falling to Bromley in the FA Trophy final.
Nearly three years on, Wrexham are inching ever closer to another Wembley final and a real shot at silverware.