Wrexham claimed a huge three points in the race for promotion to the Championship as they beat fellow rivals Wycombe Wanderers 1-0 at Adams Park.
Phil Parkinson made three changes to the side that lost 2-0 to Reading and Paul Mullin denied a rift with Parkinson before the match despite being left out of the squad yet again.
The game itself with a tight but frantic affair with both sets of players giving everything for the cause but displaying a real lack of quality.
That all changed after a 47 minute delay in the second half following an illness to a member of the crowd, when Sam Smith produced a stunning volley to seal a vital three points for Wrexham.
Max Cleworth produces man of the match display for Wrexham
Max Cleworth shone alongside Smith in the Wrexham player ratings and whilst the striker will get the headlines following his winning goal, the 22-year-old defender deserves just as many plaudits.
Up against a real threat in Wycombe’s Fred Onyedinma, Cleworth was all over his opponent from start to finish and defended superbly alongside team mates Eoghan O’Connell and Lewis Brunt.
| Games stats | Max Cleworth vs Wycombe Wanderers |
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Clearances | 1 |
| Interceptions | 2 |
| Tackles won | 4 |
| Ground duels won | 4 |
| Aerial duels won | 4 |
That is now four clean sheets in Wrexham’s last five league games and their accumulation of crucial points in the League One promotion race is in no small part down to their heroic defensive efforts.
Cleworth is a future Wrexham captain
Bryan Hughes saw the future with Cleworth back in 2019 before he departed the club and since then the young defender has gone from strength to strength in a Wrexham shirt.
With James McClean coming towards the end of his career, Cleworth is the perfect candidate to take over the captain’s armband and lead this Wrexham side for years to come.
Cleworth has made an incredible 39 appearances for Parkinson’s side across all competitions this season and has found his scoring boots by hitting the back of the net eight times.
He has become one of the first names on the team sheet and his performance at Wycombe just typified what an integral part of the Red Dragons side he has become.