Football fans across the UK have been anxiously waiting for updates on potential postponements due to Storm Darragh, with Burton vs Wrexham potentially impacted too.
Whilst neither Wrexham nor Burton have spoken about the storm in the buildup to Saturday’s fixture, warnings of 90mph winds across the UK have left Red Dragons fans concerned.
Fans have been travelling from Wrexham across into England, experiencing dangerous conditions along the way as Storm Darragh rages stronger in Wales.
Phil Parkinson will be hoping the match is played as normal, with Wrexham’s win against Barnsley leaving them second in League One on the back of three consecutive wins.
A decision has finally been made on the match, though, with both sides confirming the news on their social media accounts.
Burton Albion vs Wrexham goes ahead despite Storm Darragh
To the relief of the travelling Wrexham fans, the Red Dragons’ clash with Burton Albion is set to go ahead in the midst of high winds caused by the storm.
Given the busy Christmas schedule, Parkinson and his Wrexham coaching staff will be grateful to not have to reschedule the match to a later date.
With Callum Burton out injured for Saturday’s match, Mark Howard will also be grateful for the match going ahead as he will get an opportunity for a rare start in goal.
Howard is confident ahead of the Burton clash due to Wrexham’s strong defence, but Parkison may need to rethink his tactical style slightly to cope with the stormy conditions.
Wrexham’s tactical strengths may be nullified by Storm Darragh
So far this season, Wrexham have completed 30.8 accurate long balls per match, alongside 5.6 accurate crosses.
This all contributes to the Red Dragons sitting 19th in the League One rankings for possession with only 44.1% of the ball on average per match.
Much of these accurate crosses in particular come from Parkinson’s emphasis on his wing-backs, with George Dobson praising Ryan Barnett’s crossing ability as one of Wrexham’s key attacking threats.
However, with blustery winds expected due to Storm Darragh, Wrexham may need to find a different way to beat Burton, as crosses and long balls up to Ollie Palmer will likely be caught up in the air due to the conditions.
Whilst Parkinson and the Wrexham squad will be happy to see the game going ahead, they will know that the match will be a unique challenge given the conditions.