Wrexham were looking to bounce back from a draw in midweek when they hosted Burton Albion on Saturday.
Phil Parkinson received an apology after a penalty was given against his Wrexham side in their meeting with Cambridge United.
Said fixture ended 2-2, meaning the gap between the Red Dragons and Wycombe Wanderers remained the same prior to the weekend’s fixture getting underway.
As a result, the Welsh side were well aware that anything but a win against Burton Albion could have seen Mke Dodds’ men close the gap ahead of playing their game in hand in the coming week.
When all was said and done at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham beat Burton. Here are five things we learned.
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Zero changes was a surprise
It’s become clear as the promotion race heats up that Parkinson is not looking to make too many changes to his eleven.
But after playing in midweek and dropping two points, it was slightly surprising to see the exact same team start the Burton match.
The most obvious omission from the eleven was a previously key Ryan Barnett, while it would have made sense to see an attack-minded Eliott Lee come into the side when playing at home to a team toward the bottom of the table.
Ryan Reynolds pays a visit to Wrexham vs Burton
Wrexham welcomed co-owner Ryan Reynolds to the Racecourse on Saturday, the first time either he or Rob have visited Wales in 2025.
Reynolds last watched Wrexham in person back in December 2024 when they drew 2-2 with Cambridge United after a late goal prevented his side from securing three points.
There were no such dramas this time around, however, with Wrexham coming away with a big win.
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Door could be open for Paul Mullin to make bench
With Burton down to 10 men, Parkinson took off Jay Rodriguez for his usual replacement, Steven Fletcher, after just 34 minutes.
It didn’t appear as though the former Burnley man had an issue when walking off the field, but was spotted receiving treatment on the bench a short while after.
Should Rodriguez indeed be injured and have to miss Wrexham’s next tie, the door could now be open for Paul Mullin to at least make the bench after not featuring since January 28.
Creativity will be a welcome addition for Wrexham in summer
Despite Burton going down to 10 men early on and Wrexham having the lion’s share of possession, they didn’t do much with it.
The game was crying out for someone to take a hold of it, but the Red Dragons lacked any real creativity in the first 45.
It’s been clear for a while that an attacking midfielder is needed and the club already look to have identified one option, with Wrexham wanting to sign Tom Lawrence on a free transfer.
Sam Smith is the striker Wrexham needed
Make that five goals for Sam Smith since his arrival at Wrexham from Reading at the end of January.
He’s already outscored Mullin and Ollie Palmer in the league, nearly has the same number of goals as Jack Marriott (6), and could well catch Fletcher (8) before the season is over.
Wrexham spent the first half of the season in dire need of an in-form goal-scorer, and they have certainly found one in Smith.