Wrexham have found themselves amid a goalkeeping crisis, with Arthur Okonkwo and Callum Burton sustaining injuries.
Okonkwo suffered a broken wrist in November, leaving Phil Parkinson without his number-one shot-stopper for a minimum of six weeks.
Burton has deputised admirably in Okonkwo’s absence, helping Wrexham climb to second in the League One table. Burton impressed against Stockport County especially, but his impressive stint between the sticks at the Racecourse Ground seems to have been cut cruelly short.
Burton suffered an injury against Barnsley with Parkinson yet to provide a positive update on his fitness ahead of Saturday’s clash with Burton Albion.
Mark Howard replaced Burton as Wrexham beat Barnsley, with the veteran stopper keeping a confidence-boosting clean sheet in his first taste of league action this season.
However, it seems that Howard does not need any more confidence, as one key strength of Parkinson’s side is all the assurance he needs to step back into the starting 11.
Wrexham’s imposing defence gives Mark Howard ‘full confidence’
Speaking to Wrexham’s official website, Howard expressed how easy he feels it’ll be for him to step into the number one goalkeeper role, thanks to the strength of the defence in front of him.
He said: “It gives you full confidence as a goalkeeper whether it’s Arthur [Okonkwo], Callum [Burton] and now me because we know we’ve got a really experienced defensive unit.
“It’s like being at home and I’ve played with Eoghan O’Connell, Max [Cleworth] and Barney [Ryan Barnett] quite a lot over the last few years.
“Brunty [Lewis Brunt] has come in with a really high-performance level it’s a pleasure to play behind them and try to help them as well.”
Confidence is a crucial trait for any goalkeeper and it’s clear why Howard has some when considering how strong Wrexham have been defensively this season, so much so that it may ease any concerns of finding a different replacement for Okonkwo and Burton.
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Stats show Wrexham’s defence can protect any goalkeeper
In League One this season, Wrexham have boasted the division’s most imperious defence, with the stats to back it up.
The Red Dragons lead the league in clean sheets with 11 so far this season and only concede an impressive average of 0.6 goals per game.
Wrexham have also completed 11.9 successful tackles per game, showing that the defence works strongly as both a unit but also in their individual battles.
However, Parkinson’s goalkeepers are still making an average of 3.3 saves per game despite the defensive unit, meaning that Howard cannot rely on what’s in front of him for the whole game.
Clearly, the Wrexham squad will suffer without their two most talented goalkeepers but Howard’s experience, coupled with the ability of the defence in front of him, should be enough to not feel the loss of Burton too badly.