Wrexham returned to winning ways on Saturday afternoon, beating Mansfield Town 1-0 thanks to a fine Ryan Barnett strike.
Wrexham have a fine record in terms of bouncing back from defeats.
After losing to Birmingham City, Wrexham beat Crawley Town and after losing at Stevenage, Wrexham hammered Northampton Town.
Phil Parkinson will have been confident of a response then as Wrexham welcomed Mansfield Town to the STōK Cae Ras on Saturday.
The only goal of the game came after six minutes as Ryan Barnett fired a low drive into the net from the edge of the box.
That was enough for a 1-0 win but Rob McElhenney was left relieved after a ‘tough’ Wrexham victory with Mansfield boss Nigel Clough left cursing the refereeing on show.
- READ MORE: Elliot Lee, Modou Faal and Wrexham stars send Ryan Barnett message after Mansfield Town goal
Ryan Barnett on angering Paul Mullin
Mansfield were more than a match for Wrexham and dominated possession at the STōK Cae Ras without being able to break Wrexham down.
When their big chance did arrive, Lee Gregory rattled the woodwork as Wrexham managed to keep a clean sheet and secure the win.
Barnett was the hero in front of goal as his low, right-footed drive beat Christy Pym inside the opening stages.
Barnett certainly had a chance to slip Paul Mullin through on goal but he chose to chop back onto his right foot and unleash his drive into the net.
Mullin looked frustrated at first as the ball didn’t come his way, but he was soon raising his arms in celebration after seeing Barnett find the net.
Barnett has now spoken to Wrexham’s official YouTube channel and admitted that Mullin ‘wasn’t very happy’ with him for not passing the ball.
Barnett backed himself to score though and knew he had found the net as soon as the shot left his boot.
“It was a little bit of a different game for me today because they doubled up at times and their wing-back stopped me trying to go down the line, so as you have seen for the goal, I tried to cut in and I know Mullin wasn’t very happy with me not passing it to him, but I had a feeling when it left my foot that it was going in and I was really happy,” said Barnett.
Max Cleworth agrees with Barnett
Strikers like to score goals and Mullin is certainly seeking his best form in front of goal.
Mullin has scored just once in League One this season and is still waiting for his season to really kick start.
Parkinson and Mullin thought that he was ‘back to his best’ in October but that hasnt’ really happened.
Mullin would have seen that opportunity and felt that it was an ideal chance for him to find the net and build up his confidence.
Barnett went on his own though and defender Max Cleworth has told Wrexham Match Day Live that he thinks Mullin would not have been happy if the wing back had missed the target.
“I thought he was going to play Mulls in, and it’s a good job he put it in the bottom corner in the end because I don’t think Mulls would have been too pleased,” he added.
Mullin was, of course, delighted with the goal in the end and Barnett’s faith in himself paid off as Wrexham grabbed all three points.