Wrexham have taken a huge step towards the Championship, having beaten struggling Burton Albion 3-0 at the STōK Cae Ras on Saturday.
Wrexham drew 2-2 at Cambridge United in midweek and were looking to pick up a victory back at home.
Burton Albion’s Charlie Webster picked up an early red card, but it took Wrexham a while to find the breakthrough.
Sam Smith made it happen, chasing down a lost cause to win a penalty, allowing Steven Fletcher to score from the spot.
Smith added number two himself before Jack Marriott came off the bench to grab a third, sealing a comfortable 3-0 victory in the end.
Wycombe Wanderers lost at Reading on Saturday afternoon, meaning Wrexham now sit six points clear in second place.
Rob McElhenney on Wrexham victory
Saturday felt like a truly huge day in the League One promotion race.
Wrexham’s win and Wycombe’s defeat mean that Phil Parkinson has taken a big step towards a third promotion in a row.
Ryan Reynolds was in town as the ‘Deadpool’ star arrived at the STōK Cae Ras, but his fellow co-owner Rob McElhenney reacted from across the pond.
McElhenney’s immediate reaction after Wrexham’s win was to savour waking up early to watch his side secure three enormous points.
McElhenney also took to Instagram, though, posting a typically heartfelt and passionate reaction to Wrexham’s victory on his Instagram story.
‘This team, this coach, this staff, this town, legendary,’ said McElhenney, praising everybody connected with Wrexham as a club and as a city.
McElhenney praised Parkinson after beating Shrewsbury Town earlier this season, and it’s clear that he is a big fan of the Wrexham boss.
Parkinson comes in for criticism at times, but he finds himself closing in on three promotions in a row – something which would surely cement him as one of the finest EFL managers of all time.
Phil Parkinson gets it right against Burton Albion
This could have been a rather awkward day for Wrexham.
Burton went down to 10 men early on, and the onus was on Wrexham to go and break Gary Bowyer’s side down.
The first half was a tough watch at times, but Parkinson was proactive and made two changes at half-time.
Ryan Barnett and Elliot Lee came on for James McClean and George Dobson as Parkinson attempted to change the game at the break.
Wrexham piled the pressure on Burton in the second half, and Sam Smith unlocked the game, winning a penalty before scoring himself.
Parkinson should feel pretty pleased with his management during Saturday’s win, and leaving both Reynolds and McElhenney happy is just another boost as Wrexham move towards a third straight promotion.