Wrexham progressed to the quarter-final of the EFL Trophy with a victory over Port Vale on February 4th.
The two sides had already met in the competition this season and on that occasion, Port Vale came out on top via penalties.
It looked set to be another tricky clash for Wrexham on Tuesday as well after poor defensive efforts from Sebastian Revan and Arthur Okonkwo largely gifted the home side the opening goal after one minute of action at Vale Park.
Phil Parkinson put out a strong eleven for the meeting, however, and they were able to dominate the match despite going 1-0 down so early.
Andy Cannon put the visitors back on level terms after 30 minutes thanks to an assist from Modou Faal.
Ryan Longman then got the better of several Port Vale defenders before finding teenage sensation Harry Ashfield in the box to make it 2-1.
Longman was on hand again in the 62nd minute to assist Elliot Lee for the third, seeing Wrexham beat Port Vale 4-1.
Ryan Longman was superb but another Wrexham gem impressed vs Port Vale
While much of the attention has been put on the strikers brought to the club, Longman is quickly proving himself to be a superb addition to Parkinson’s ranks.
He came off the bench to provide the assist for Wrexham’s winner against Crawley Town this past weekend.
And despite only starting one match, the versatile star is already sitting on three assists for his new club.
Though Longman does deserve much praise, another player also needs credit for his showing on the night.
The man in question, or rather the teenager in question, is 18-year-old sensation, Ashfield.
Ashfield was making just his second-ever senior start for Wrexham but more the proved he’s ready to compete in the first-team.
Harry Ashfield stats for Wrexham vs Port Vale
The local lad scored his first-ever goal for Wrexham but it was not just his finish that deserved praise.
The teenager covered a lot of ground during his time on the pitch, finding key pockets of space and working his socks off.
| Harry Ashfield | Stats vs Port Vale |
| Sofascore rating | 7.8 |
| Minutes played | 60 |
| Shots on target | 2 |
| Goals | 1 |
| Accurate passes | 22/24 (92%) |
| Ground duels (won) | 4 (4) |
It’s only early days of course, but it looks as though Wrexham have a serious prospect on their hands and to make things even sweeter, he’s one of their own.