Wrexham are into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup after beating Reading 2-0 at the STōK Cae Ras on Tuesday night.
Phil Parkinson should be a very happy man after two Wrexham wins in a matter of days.
Just days after Wrexham’s 3-2 win over Norwich City, Parkinson’s side produced a 2-0 win over Reading in the Carabao Cup.
After a quiet first half, Wrexham kicked on in the second half and opened the scoring with a fine curling finish from Nathan Broadhead.
Broadhead added his and Wrexham’s second with a header from Ryan Barnett’s cross, booking Wrexham’s passage into round four.
Phil Parkinson on Nathan Broadhead’s display in Wrexham victory
Wrexham weren’t quite at it in the first half, and really needed to step it up after the break.
Nathan Broadhead’s opener sparked everybody into life, as the Welsh forward picked up a loose ball and curled the ball home before adding another with his head.
Broadhead became Wrexham’s record signing over the summer, completing a £7.5million move from Ipswich Town.
Fans have been waiting for Broadhead’s Wrexham career to take off, and this two-goal display feels like his big moment.
Speaking on Wrexham Match Day Live after the final whistle, Parkinson praised Broadhead for his performance.
Parkinson suggested that Broadhead has been ‘unlucky’, having picked up a calf injury, halting his impact as a Wrexham player.
Parkinson added that Broadhead is a ‘very dangerous player’, and Wrexham must trust him to make a big impact in the final third.
“I think, with Nath, that he’s been a bit unlucky because he got that whack on his calf against Sheffield Wednesday and he had that great chance against West Brom,” said Parkinson.
“But I think he showed everybody, second half, what he’s all about, but we’ve got to give him the ball, we’ve got to trust him, he’s got to keep moving for it, and we’ve got to find him in those pockets.
“When he gets the ball in those situations, he’s a very dangerous player, as he’s shown in his career, and I was so pleased for him tonight.
“I don’t think we should underestimate the quality of those finishes. The first one was great, but the second one, that header, was terrific,” he added.
Nathan Broadhead may remain on the bench against Derby County
It’s natural for any player to believe they will start the next game after scoring two goals, and two high-quality goals in Broadhead’s case.
Broadhead will hope to start against Derby County this weekend, but he may remain on the bench.
Parkinson won’t want to ask too much of Broadhead too early, as this was his first appearance since returning from injury.
The Wrexham boss will manage Broadhead’s minutes carefully, so we can expect to see him as a substitute against Derby.
Additionally, Wrexham were brilliant in the 3-2 win over Norwich City, and it would be so harsh to drop either Josh Windass or Lewis O’Brien.
Broadhead’s starting action will come soon enough, but we would predict a place on the bench this weekend.