Wrexham are preparing to face Stockport County in League One this weekend with Phil Parkinson looking for another big result.
The final stretch of the season is here with Wrexham having a real chance at promotion to the Championship.
Wrexham beat Wycombe Wanderers 1-0 on Saturday afternoon to temporarily move up to second in the League One table.
The celebration has been somewhat short-lived though as Wycombe beat Rotherham United 3-2 on Tuesday night to reclaim second place in rapid fashion.
Everything is a level playing field now; Wrexham and Wycombe sit level on points in the League One table and both have nine games to play.
This is the final push for Wrexham and Phil Parkinson will take on a familiar in Stockport County this weekend.
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Sam Smith has shown he can provide Wrexham magic
Wrexham and Stockport have been battling it out in the National League, League Two and now League One.
The two clubs have been on a similar rise and may even end up in the Championship together next season.
A win this weekend would be enormous and if Parkinson is looking for a moment of magic, it may well come from Sam Smith.
Smith was the hero on Saturday as his volley found the back of the net, handing Wrexham a 1-0 victory.
Parkinson hailed Smith for his moment of quality, a goal that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a compilation of Marco van Basten’s finest goals.
Smith was even compared to Robin van Persie as his left-footed volley sent Wrexham fans wild.
The technique on Smith’s volley was outstanding and whilst there may have been a slight deflection, this was a moment of real quality.
Once upon a time, Wrexham would have relied on Paul Mullin for moments of magic in a promotion race.
Smith replaced Mullin at Cambridge United though and may now be doing the same at Wrexham – not just in the Wrexham attack, but also as the man to look towards for moments of class.
Saturday proved that Smith has these goals in his locker and fans will be looking for him to step up again in this promotion run-in.
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Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds outlay could lead to promotion
Wrexham paid big money for Smith, shattering the club’s transfer record with a first-ever seven-figure deal.
Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds won’t have made that decision lightly and will have wanted to see results from such a big signing.
So far, so good; Smith has bagged three goals in nine league games and has nailed down a place in Parkinson’s starting XI.
Wrexham can still enable Smith to shine more with a little more creativity around the box, but more goals like Saturday’s strike will make that seven-figure outlay look like a bargain.
McElhenney and Reynolds know that potential promotion to the Championship is worth millions and subsequently splashed the cash on Smith to get over the line.
The Hollywood duo must have loved Smith’s goal on Saturday and should feel confident in him being the man to fire Wrexham into the Championship.