Wrexham midfielder Lewis O’Brien insists Friday night’s Welsh derby against Swansea City must be treated as “another game” as the Championship season reaches its decisive stage.
The Reds host Swansea at the Racecourse Ground with just 10 matches remaining and their place in the play-off positions still intact despite a midweek defeat.
O’Brien says the focus inside the dressing room is simple, keep winning and the rest will take care of itself.
“We’re into the business end of the season now,” he said. “It’s come quick, but we’re near the end and this is the time when everything matters.”
Wrexham keeping focus despite derby hype
The meeting with Swansea has been widely billed as one of the standout Welsh derbies in years, but O’Brien insists Wrexham cannot allow the occasion to distract them.
“People can big up this game as much as they can,” he said. “But we just have to see it as another game.
“We can’t let the occasion get too big for us. It’s another Championship game and that’s how we’ve got to see it.”
Wrexham head into the match still sixth in the table despite suffering a 2-1 defeat to Hull City earlier this week, a result that ended a four-game unbeaten run but left their play-off position unchanged.
O’Brien believes the team must respond quickly after that setback.
“We were disappointed with how we performed and the energy levels we gave,” he said.
“We’ve reflected on it and hopefully we can bounce back.”
Wrexham eye revenge after Swansea defeat
The reverse fixture in December finished 2-1 to Swansea, with the Swans scoring a stoppage-time winner after an error from Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo.
O’Brien played only a brief role in that game after suffering an early injury, but admits it would be satisfying to get one back on Friday night.
“It was disappointing and I only played about three minutes because I got injured,” he said.
“But yeah, it would be nice to get one back on them.”
Despite the derby narrative, the midfielder insists Wrexham’s real focus remains the promotion race.
With 10 games remaining, he believes their fate is still in their own hands.
“If we keep winning, no one can catch us,” O’Brien said.
“We just have to focus on ourselves and take it game by game. Get as many points as we can and see where we finish.”