Wrexham were held to a 0-0 draw by Harrogate Town but Phil Parkinson was impressed with the impact Luke Bolton made off the bench.
Wrexham faced play-off chasers Harrogate on Tuesday night looking to make it three consecutive wins in a row.
The Reds were coming up against a side that boasted the second-strongest away record in the division, and so it proved.
Phil Parkinson’s men struggled to break down such a strong and resilient set-up, registering 17 shots on goal and 62% possession without having any goals to show for it.
Despite failing to find a breakthrough, the biggest disappointment for the hosts was losing James McClean to suspension for two matches as he picked up his 10th yellow card of the season.
The blow of losing him was slightly softened by Wrexham’s promotion rivals, Mansfield and MK Dons falling to defeats, so no ground was lost in their pursuit of the title.
Parkinson did everything he could to win the match, including throwing Luke Bolton into the action from the bench, and he made a solid account for himself.
Phil Parkinson praises the impact of Luke Bolton
Bolton was captured from League Two rivals Salford City on transfer deadline day and has struggled to nail a place in the Wrexham starting XI.
The inspired form of Ryan Barnett in the right wing-back role has kept him out of the side and the 24-year-old hasn’t performed to the standard required.
In the draw against Harrogate last night, Parkinson swapped him for Barnett in the final 12 minutes and he made a real impression from the bench.
Known for his searing pace and ability to take on defenders, Bolton attempted two dribbles, put two crosses into the box and recorded a 92% pass completion (12/13).
As a result of making such a positive impact despite limited minutes on the pitch, he was praised by his manager after the match.
Speaking to Wrexham’s official YouTube channel, Parkinson said: “Yeah, Bolts was good, he put in a fantastic delivery near the end and against tired legs, he’s a real threat.”
Bolton had to impress and did
After arriving in Wales as a marquee signing at the start of February, Bolton would have expected to make a bigger impact than he has done.
Parkinson has unfortunately preferred Barnett over the Manchester City academy graduate, however, he hasn’t let that faze him and he’s doing everything he can to earn more starts.
As Wrexham approach a period in April with four games in the space of 12 days, Bolton will likely get called into action and if he performs close to how he did against Harrogate, the 24-year-old can take those opportunities.