Wrexham suffered a blow on Tuesday evening when they dropped two points to League Two-bound Cambridge United.
After some huge wins in recent weeks, Tuesday’s clash seemed like one of the easiest fixtures the Red Dragons have had for some time.
Things got off to a perfect start for Wrexham as well when George Dobson made it 1-0 with less than five minutes of the game played.
However, goals either side of the break then saw the home outfit boasting a 2-1 lead with 47 minutes gone.
Given Wrexham had not scored three league goals since November 2024 versus Exeter City, it did seem unlikely they would come back to win.
And that proved to be the case, with Cambridge holding out for a 2-2 draw against Phil Parkinson’s side.
Wrexham had a goal disallowed late on, but prior to that, they could have had the game won if Parkinson made some changes pre-match.
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Jack Marriott has offered nothing to Wrexham since his return
With at least one more goal needed, Parkinson, as he so often does, turned to Steven Fletcher from the bench.
The Scotsman was unable to work his magic, however, and Wrexham were forced to settle for a point on the night.
Given Wycombe Wanderers dropped points on April 1 as well, it would have been massive had the Welsh club come away with a win.
However, as has been so common this season, there just wasn’t enough attacking threat in the eleven or off the bench.
Currently, Jack Marriott is acting as Wrexham’s fourth-choice centre-forward behind Fletcher.
Marriott excelled in the opening stages of 2024/25, scoring five goals in 10 League One meetings.
However, he was then injured in early October and since his return in 2025, hasn’t looked anywhere near as impactful.
In fact, in the 10 games he has played since his return, the 30-year-old has failed to provide a single goal contribution.
Granted, he’s played fewer minutes in the same number of appearances, but not scoring at least one goal is concerning.
The clash with Cambridge was a great example of how important it is to have strong options off the bench, but unfortunately, since his return, Marriott just isn’t it.
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Paul Mullin or Ollie Palmer need a chance ahead of Jack Marriott
It’s clear that the two best options to replace Marriott in matchday squads would be Ollie Palmer or Paul Mullin.
Mullin has fallen down the pecking order in the last two months, not being included in a league tie since January 28.
However, while he didn’t offer much in the first half of 2024/25, it is somewhat baffling that he can’t even make the bench ahead of Marriott right now.
Humphrey Ker spoke about Mullin’s future recently, saying there is a way back in for him.
And given that Marriott has done little to show he deserves a place in the squad right now, Parkinson should look at bringing back either the Liverpool-born star or Palmer this weekend.