Wrexham could end the season with a promotion to the Championship with Phil Parkinson’s squad chasing Championship football.
Buckle up – the next few weeks are going to be nail-biting.
Wrexham beat Burton Albion on Saturday afternoon, benefiting as Wycombe Wanderers lost to Reading.
That opened up a six-point gap and left Wrexham fans dreaming of a third straight promotion.
Wycombe beat Huddersfield Town on Tuesday night, though, cutting the gap back down to three points as the two teams enter the final five games of the season.
This has been a superb Wrexham season once again, and two players may be leading the way for the Wrexham Player of the Season award.
Two leading names for Wrexham Player of the Season
The tension is about to go through the roof with every game absolutely vital to Wrexham’s hopes of going up.
Parkinson will call on his star players to get Wrexham over the line, and it will soon be time to crown a brand new Player of the Season.
Paul Mullin has won three in a row, but he has been frozen out of late and won’t be winning a fourth in a row.
Wrexham fans will have their own shouts for the Player of the Season award, but we feel two players have really put themselves at the top of the list.
The first is defender Max Cleworth, whose consistency continues to dazzle.
Cleworth is a shining light from the Wrexham academy, rising through the ranks to become one of the first names on Parkinson’s team sheet.
We are just so impressed with Cleworth on a weekly basis; his composure, his reading of the game, his ability to bring the ball out from the back.
Cleworth would be worth so much if Wrexham cashed in, but the presence and backing of Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds means we can’t see him leaving any time soon.
The 22-year-old looks like a future Wrexham captain, and having previously won the Young Player of the Season award, the time may be right for him to win the senior award.
Our other top contender is Ollie Rathbone.
Wrexham signed Rathbone back in August, raiding Rotherham United to land the midfielder.
Steve Evans claimed a ‘significant’ fee for Rathbone, and it took him a little while to make a real impact at Wrexham.
Yet, ever since his first goal against Exeter City in November, Rathbone has been the heartbeat of the Wrexham midfield.
The late winner against Barnsley and the curling strike against Birmingham City really spring to mind as moments of quality from Rathbone, who has become a driving force in Parkinson’s engine room.
Much like Cleworth, Rathbone has been a beacon of consistency this season and never let his head drop in the difficult times.
Rathbone is a worthy challenger to Cleworth, and both would be deserving winners, but we may just give the edge to Cleworth at this stage.
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Other runners and riders for Wrexham award
There is still time for other players to really push themselves into the conversation, especially with promotion on the line in the coming weeks.
Humphrey Ker has suggested Eoghan O’Connell as a contender, highlighting the Irishman’s consistency over the season.
O’Connell has had a couple of difficult games, but Ker thinks they only highlight how great he has been for the rest of the campaign.
Goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo also deserves a shout, having come through a difficult period in the season.
Okonkwo suffered a wrist injury back in November, keeping him out of action for around six weeks.
Parkinson then dropped Okonkwo shortly after his return, believing that he simply wasn’t ready to be back playing again.
Okonkwo had to be patient and sit on the bench for a few games, but he has been pretty much flawless since his return.
Ryan Barnett looked to be a hot favourite earlier in the season as his wing wizardry sparked goal after goal down Wrexham’s right flank.
Barnett has lost his place to Ryan Longman in recent weeks, though, and may no longer be a frontrunner for the Player of the Season award.
The usual names of Mullin, Ollie Palmer and Elliot Lee may not be in the mix this year, but there will be a fierce battle ahead for this prestigious award.