Wrexham are into the next round of the EFL Trophy after a battling 1-0 victory over Crewe Alexandra at the STōK Cae Ras on Tuesday night.
Wrexham shelved League One commitments on Tuesday night as Phil Parkinson turned his focus towards the EFL Trophy.
After comfortably progressing through the group stage, Wrexham were faced with a knockout clash against League Two side Crewe Alexandra.
This wasn’t a classic by any stretch of the imagination and Crewe did carve out some decent chances to score.
Wrexham did enough to win though as Paul Mullin crossed for defender Aaron James to head home the winner, securing yet another 1-0 win.
Wrexham are into the last eight of the Northern section and here are five talking points from Tuesday’s win…
Brad Foster makes a strong start
Wrexham’s goalkeeping ranks have been in flux of late with both Arthur Okonkwo and Callum Burton both out injured.
Mark Howard started against Burton Albion on Saturday with new signing Brad Foster named on the bench.
Wrexham couldn’t afford to risk starting Howard again on Tuesday night, meaning Foster was thrown in for a first appearance.
Former West Bromwich Albion talent Foster was a free agent just a few days ago but you wouldn’t have known it after this display.
Foster made a number of fine saves and commanded his penalty area well with claims and punches to keep a clean sheet.
Foster could hardly have done more with his debut performance and he deserves all the plaudits coming his way after this performance.
Modou Faal still incredibly raw
Modou Faal was handed a chance to shine in the Wrexham attack, partnering Jon Dadi Bodvarsson up top.
Faal joined Wrexham from West Bromwich Albion on transfer deadline day but has yet to really make a big impact.
This was a chance for Faal to impress against League Two opposition, especially having scored against Crewe for Doncaster Rovers last season.
Faal never really looked like scoring again though and it’s clear that he has a long way to go before challenging for a starting role in League One.
We knew that Faal would be a project but a quiet showing against Crewe means Wrexham may need to loan him out in January in order to give him more first-team action away from the STōK Cae Ras.
James Jones suffers another blow
Midfielder James Jones was named in the starting lineup as he made his return from injury.
Jones hadn’t featured at all since the 3-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers Under-21’s on October 8.
The Scot was back in action on Tuesday night but ended up being substituted in the first half having picked up another injury problem.
Hopefully this is nothing major and merely a precaution given that Jones has been out of action for two months ahead of facing Crewe.
Jones has barely featured this season though and with injuries a recurring problem in 2024, you begin to wonder if his future lies away from Wrexham in 2025.
Aaron James giving Parkinson something to think about
These games are an opportunity for young and fringe players to knock on the door and catch Parkinson’s attention.
Lewis Brunt certainly seized that opportunity earlier this season and is now starring in the Wrexham first team.
Faal may not have quite taken his chance with both hands but defender Aaron James certainly did.
Not only did James come up with the winning goal, but he was strong defensively throughout and played his part in another Wrexham clean sheet.
James wants a January loan move but if he continues to impress in the EFL Trophy, he may find himself moving up the pecking order in Wrexham’s defensive ranks.
Flat atmosphere but Wembley moves closer
These games are often a strange affair.
There is silverware and a trip to Wembley on offer but the games are often flat with little atmosphere due to small attendances across the board.
3,119 fans were inside the STōK Cae Ras on Tuesday night, which is still more than many clubs can boast in this competition, but they weren’t exactly treated to flowing football.
It’s strange to watch Wrexham without the roaring atmosphere we have become used to in recent years but this is just how it goes in the EFL Trophy.
Wrexham have at least moved another step towards Wembley and the atmosphere will no doubt ramp up if Wrexham can move closer and closer to an important piece of silverware.