Wrexham are through to the knockout stage of the EFL Trophy after a 1-1 draw with League Two side Port Vale on Tuesday night.
Wrexham headed to Vale Park with little on the line.
Wins over Salford City and Wolverhampton Wanderers Under-21’s had already guaranteed Wrexham’s passage into the knockout stages.
Phil Parkinson made 11 changes to his Wrexham side but was forced into a change before kick-off with Max Cleworth replacing the injured Will Boyle.
Cleworth then bagged the opener for Wrexham before Port Vale levelled it up late on and went on to win one of the more unnecessary penalty shootouts of all time.
Wrexham could now face Tranmere Rovers after finishing top of Group B, securing home advantage in the next round.
Phil Parkinson comments on Josh Adam performance
This was a great opportunity for Wrexham to bring in some players who needed first-team minutes.
Midfielder Josh Adam was a prime example given that we hadn’t seen him in action for Wrexham before Tuesday night.
Wrexham signed Adam as a free agent in September, months after he was allowed to leave Manchester City on a free transfer.
Parkinson hinted at an opportunity for Adam against Port Vale and the Scot was named in the starting XI.
Adam showed glimpses of his quality and Parkinson was impressed with what he saw from the 20-year-old.
Speaking on Wrexham’s official YouTube channel, Parkinson suggested that Adam showed ‘real quality’ in his first Wrexham appearance.
Parkinson added that Adam was ‘excellent’ as the former City talent made an impression.
“Josh Adam’s first game for us, he showed real quality, I thought, at times,” said Parkinson.
“This is a big old pitch to make your debut on and I thought he was excellent,” he added.
Adam looking to prove himself to Wrexham
Adam’s deal was a one-year contract with the option of another year if he impresses Parkinson and co this season.
Two months passed from Adam’s arrival to his debut, with Wrexham taking a rather patient approach with the midfielder.
Adam has now got that debut under his belt and will be looking to prove that he deserves to have his contract option activated.
Competition is fierce; Wrexham have George Dobson, James Jones, Andy Cannon, Ollie Rathbone, Elliot Lee, James McClean and new signing Matty James vying for midfield roles.
Adam is also impacted by the fact that Wrexham are out of the FA Cup and League Cup, impacted his potential for minutes away from League One.
Maybe the EFL Trophy will be where Adam makes his biggest impact, but Tuesday’s display was a positive start for the youngster in a Wrexham shirt.