Wrexham got back to winning ways on Saturday afternoon, beating Mansfield Town 1-0 in a real battle at the STōK Cae Ras.
Phil Parkinson was looking for a major response after Wrexham’s FA Cup defeat at the hands of League Two side Harrogate Town.
Wrexham were flat and disappointing against Harrogate, ultimately deserving the first-round knockout.
League One action returned for Wrexham on Saturday and Parkinson saw his side bounce back with a victory.
Ryan Barnett scored the only goal of the game, firing a low strike into the net with just seven minutes on the clock.
Mansfield were tricky customers but Wrexham stood up to the challenge and secured a clean sheet in a 1-0 victory.
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Rob McElhenney reacts to Wrexham win
This was another game in which Wrexham had much less of the ball and had to be resolute defensively.
That requires real concentration and organisation, as well as a bit of luck – Mansfield did hit the woodwork during their quest to get back level.
Wrexham fans would have been forgiven for biting their nails in the second half and Rob McElhenney was seemingly in the same boat.
Co-chairman McElhenney took to social media after the full-time whistle, praising Mansfield as a ‘great club’.
McElhenney added that this was a ‘tough’ victory for Wrexham, adding that he will take three points against a strong Stags side.
Wrexham fans have praised goalscorer Barnett’s display but will know that Mansfield really could have snatched something from the game.
How the League One table looks
Wrexham stay in third place in the League One table with 28 points from 14 games.
Two points per game is often the magic equation for promotion and Wrexham are hitting that mark right now.
We have new leaders at the top though as Wycombe Wanderers have reached the summit after beating Wigan Athletic 1-0 away from home.
That is now six wins in a row for the Chairboys but they may soon face an issue.
Coventry City want Wycombe boss Matt Bloomfield following the sacking of Mark Robins and could throw a real spanner in the works for Wycombe.
They were able to go top of the league after Birmingham City could only draw 1-1 with Northampton Town as Mitch Pinnock grabbed a last-gasp leveller.
Wrexham now sit two points behind big-spending Birmingham and four behind Wycombe, with Saturday’s win proving vital as Parkinson keeps Wrexham in the hunt.