Wrexham returned to winning ways with a 3-0 victory over Exeter on Saturday, earning another clean sheet in the process.
Wrexham’s win over Exeter highlighted the Red Dragons’ key strengths in the League One promotion race. With all three goals coming from headers, including two from corners, the Wrexham squad will have a physical advantage against most teams.
Another strength shown was Wrexham’s strong home record at the Racecourse Ground as they prevented their opponents from creating a single clear-cut opportunity, thanks to strong performances from their back three.
Wrexham fans praised Max Cleworth after his goal opened the scoring, but one forgotten man was the true star for Phil Parkinson’s side against Exeter.
Stats highlight Lewis Brunt’s star performance vs Exeter City
Lewis Brunt signed for Wrexham from Leicester City in the summer and made quite the impression in his first league start for the club on Saturday.
Brunt completed 92% of his passes against Exeter, including four long balls that were crucial to getting Ollie Palmer into the game up front. Crucially, this covered Cleworth’s struggles in the department as he failed to complete a single long ball.
Defensively, Brunt won all five of his tackles, supplemented by three defensive recoveries and two blocks as Exeter pressured in the second half.
Considering his lack of minutes this season, Brunt performed exceptionally against an experienced striker in Josh Magennis, showing that Parkinson can rely on his summer signing to offer unique qualities in Wrexham’s promotion hunt.
Parkinson must trust his summer signings after Exeter win
Alongside Brunt, it was also a big performance for another summer signing, Ollie Rathbone, who starred against Exeter.
Rathbone joined from Rotherham for a club-record fee and scored his first goal for the club on Saturday. It wasn’t just his goal that was impressive, though.
Rathbone completed 98% of his passes and won all of his tackles, alongside 10 defensive recoveries in midfield.
Clearly, the Wrexham manager understandably trusts his longer-term servants who have helped the club complete back-to-back promotions.
However, if Wrexham are to complete the unthinkable feat of reaching the Championship at the first attempt, Parkinson must utilise the clear talents of his summer recruits.