Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson has praised defenders Eoghan O’Connell and Will Boyle after their display against Notts County on Saturday.
The rivalry between Wrexham and Notts County ramped up last season as the battle for one automatic promotion spot went down in history.
Wrexham took top spot but then saw Notts County secure promotion through the play-offs, meaning we would see more battles in League Two.
The meeting at Meadow Lane in October saw Wrexham run out 2-0 winners and it was a similar story on Saturday, this time with a 1-0 scoreline.
Steven Fletcher’s superb finish handed Wrexham all three points and a massive win as Stockport County and Mansfield Town both lost.
Phil Parkinson hails Wrexham duo Eoghan O’Connell and Will Boyle
This was another battling display just days after beating Sutton United 2-1 away from home.
Wrexham only had 25% of possession and had to keep concentration levels high to secure all three points.
We saw a huge display from Eoghan O’Connell as the Irishman was colossal in the heart of the Wrexham back line.
Will Boyle was strong again too, building on a goalscoring performance against Sutton United in midweek.
Boss Phil Parkinson loved what he saw from both defenders and called O’Connell ‘outstanding’ when speaking to the club’s official YouTube channel.
Parkinson felt that O’Connell excelled against Sutton United too but then offered praise for fellow defender Boyle, believing that he coped well against a tricky side.
“He was outstanding,” said Parkinson. “He was on Tuesday as well. It was a different type of game for Boyley, Eoghan and Max today, completely different challenge, but it’s one I felt they all stood up to really well.”
“So pleased for Boyley again, as we’ve discussed, he got sent off, been out of the team, but he had a tough afternoon against some very, very good players in and around him today and I thought he coped superbly well,” he added.
O’Connell excelled in one area, racking up 10 clearances – more than centre back partners Boyle and Max Cleworth combined!
The 28-year-old proved to be a brick wall against Notts County’s star striker Macaulay Langstaff and these top defensive showings will be needed in order to secure promotion.