Wrexham beat Burton Albion 3-0 on Saturday afternoon to take a huge step towards a third straight promotion under Phil Parkinson.
The race for second place in League One is now well and truly in Wrexham’s hands.
Wrexham beat Burton Albion 3-0 on Saturday afternoon, scoring three times in the second half to defeat the 10-man Brewers.
Sam Smith stepped up as Wrexham’s game-changer, winning a penalty for Steven Fletcher to open the scoring before slotting home a composed finish of his own, with Jack Marriott adding number three.
Wycombe Wanderers’ defeat at Reading means Wrexham now sit six points clear of Wycombe with six games to play.
Wycombe have a game in hand, but even if they beat Huddersfield Town in midweek, they will remain three points adrift of Wrexham.
Anthony Forde reunites with Ryan Reynolds
This may go down as the key weekend in the League One promotion race, with Wrexham now firmly in the box seat.
Saturday’s game could have seen Wrexham reunite with three former players following transfers earlier this year.
Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, James Jones and Anthony Forde all joined Burton, whilst former chief executive Fleur Robinson headed to the Pirelli Stadium last year.
Bodvarsson and Jones missed out on Saturday, but Forde came off the bench and received a warm reception from Wrexham fans.
Forde left Wrexham as the January transfer window closed, paving the way for him to join Burton Albion on a free transfer.
The Irishman was a popular figure at Wrexham, even if his playing time was diminished in 2024.
Burton Albion posted a clip of Forde arriving at the STōK Cae Ras on Saturday, where he was greeted by Ryan Reynolds.
The pair chatted away ahead of Burton’s clash with Wrexham, as Reynolds welcomed the wide man back to North Wales.
Reynolds showed his support for Forde as he departed Wrexham, whilst Forde praised Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as ‘incredible’.
Forde was on the losing side on Saturday, but he clapped the Wrexham fans at the end of the game to show his appreciation for the STōK Cae Ras crowd.
Wrexham fans may hope for Burton Albion survival
The end of the season is now in sight and whilst Wrexham are fighting for promotion, Burton are fighting for something very different – survival.
Gary Bowyer’s side sit three points from safety after losing to Wrexham but have a game in hand on 20th-placed Burton Albion.
Bodvarsson, Jones and Forde provide a real Wrexham feel to the Burton squad, and Robinson’s off-field work was always so well-appreciated by Reynolds and McElhenney.
Promotion is the full focus for everybody at Wrexham, but survival for the former Wrexham quartet at Burton would be nice to see.