Wrexham know that three points are a must in the their trip to Field Mill to take on Nigel Clough’s Mansfield Town.
Wrexham could be eight points behind Wycombe Wanderers in the final League One promotion spot by the time they kick off against Clough’s side if Wycombe beat Wigan at home.
Phil Parkinson’s side will need to improve on their performance against Leyton Orient where James McClean has sent a message to Wrexham fans.
Arthur Okonkwo could replace Mark Howard in goal and Andy Cannon comes in to the midfield in Wrexham’s predicted XI for the Mansfield clash. The Red Dragons have already beaten their opponents in the league this season and also scored a victory off the pitch too.
Wrexham beat Mansfield to the signing of Lewis Brunt in the summer
Wrexham beat Mansfield 1-0 at the Racecourse Ground earlier in the season but off the field the club had already beaten the team from Field Mill in the summer.
Mansfield’s ‘number one’ target was hijacked by Wrexham in the form of defender Lewis Brunt, who made the switch from Premier League outfit Leicester City.
Having spent the previous season on loan at Mansfield and helping them gain promotion from League Two, it was expected that Brunt would sign permanently for Clough’s side before Wrexham swooped in.
Brunt has now forced his way into Parkinson’s first eleven after a slow start to his Wrexham career and has made 18 appearances for the club. Fans were left drooling over Brunt following a recent EFL Trophy win over Bolton Wanderers.
Brunt is forming a solid back three with Max Cleworth and Eoghan O’Connell
Parkinson has tinkered with his back three a lot this season and Brunt didn’t make his first league start until late November in a 3-0 win over Exeter.
He has now started the last three league games alongside Max Cleworth and Eoghan O’Connell and Wrexham finally seem to have found the right blend in defence.
Brunt and Cleworth play either side of O’Connell due to their composure on the ball, whilst O’Connell has shown his dominance in the air in recent matches.
Consistency and partnerships are key to a solid defence and Parkinson now needs to allow this back three to continue learning each other’s game whilst grinding out results in the push for promotion.