PREVIEW | Wrexham v Notts County

16 February 2024

Football’s great isn’t it? This clash between the oldest and third oldest professional football clubs in the world ought to be an epic rivalry by definition, but instead it was a routine fixture for both sets of fans. It took a season like no other to draw us together, and now our fates our intertwined.

Wrexham smashed the record for the most points in a season in the UK this Summer to win the National League, and we had to because Notts County did exactly the same.

Just think about it: a side which put last season’s sequence of results together would have been runaway winners in any previous season at any level of the Football League or Premier League, going back to 1888, yet the title race was most definitely alive until the closing moments of our penultimate match of the season. That’s how magnificent Notts County were last season: we had to be unprecedentedly good to better them.

Throw in the drama of our end of season showdown at the Stok Cae Ras, and this is suddenly a rivalry for the ages. Just as it should have been all along

THE WREXHAM ANGLE.

Wrexham’s win at Sutton on Tuesday wasn’t pretty, but it was exactly what was required. The home defeat to Bradford felt peculiar: the level of performance was close to what we’d expect at the Stok Cae Ras, but the goals just wouldn’t come.

Phil Parkinson will hope that a hard-fought away victory will restore the positivity and resilience that his squad famously possess just in time for this massive clash. He shuffled his pack, and the four players that he brought into the starting line-up have given him plenty of food for thought as he considers the line-up for this game.

Will Boyle’s heroic return from the disappointment at Newport was an obvious stand-out effort, but Max Cleworth was equally solid on the other side of the back three, while Luke Bolton and Jack Marriott both made positive impressions in their first starts for the club.

Furthermore, Parkinson singled out Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer for praise after they did well off the bench, and Luke Young’s first appearance in 8 games was impressive as he brought bite and drive to the middle of the park.

Young might have to replicate that role, as George Evans came off after feeling tightness in a gluteal muscle.

LAST MEETING

THE OPPOSING VIEW

A week ago it wasn't just last season's titanic title tussle which links the two clubs. Both Wrexham and Notts County were in the midst of a poor sequence of results and concerned they might even see all the good work they'd put in this season undermined. County even dropped out of the play-off spots on Saturday, overtaken by the team which beat them, Gillingham.

However, we both bounced back on Tuesday, with an impressive 3-1 win at Newport halting County's worrying sequence of results and restoring their place in the top seven.

The win was also most welcome as it was Stuart Maynard's first since succeeding Luke Williams. Williams left County after a 4-2 defeat at Tranmere on New Year's Day, taking up the opportunity to return to Swansea City as manager. He was assistant manager in South Wales before taking charge at Meadow Lane in 2022, and instilled a distinctive style of possession-based football which brought remarkable success over a year and a half. His reputation as a progressive, technical coach meant higher division sides were bound to be interested in him, and his previous work helping to establish Swansea's style of play meant he was an obvious choice to replace Michael Duff.

County's board issued a statement which put Williams' achievements at the club into context:

“As disappointed as we are to lose Luke, he departs with nothing but our very best wishes. We’re sure this sentiment will be shared by our supporters, who have grown to love him not only for his phenomenal achievements but also his infectious personality. He will be forever known as the man who took the world’s oldest professional club back into the EFL, breaking records and creating lifelong memories along the way.

“The high-profile nature of our achievements since Luke’s arrival 18 months ago, coupled with the immense respect he holds within the game, mean it’s come as no surprise that he’s attracted interest from higher in the pyramid. ...It’s important to remember that the club operates in a way that protects itself against the loss of a key figure like Luke. While his presence will naturally be missed, our vision remains the same."

Williams was replaced by Maynard, who was described by the County board as "one of the most exciting managers outside the EFL.” He fits the profile County went for when they appointed Williams: a young manager who is looking for his first chance to manage at a big club with high expectations.This will be his first shot at managing a full-time squad, having excelled in the last two seasons at Wealdstone.

“We’ve been tracking Stuart’s progress for a long time," explained the County board, "and have huge respect for the outstanding job he’s done at Wealdstone on limited resources.

“We believe he will thrive in a full-time environment and is an excellent fit for us in terms of his playing philosophy, which puts him in a strong position to settle in quickly and lead our continued push for promotion to League One… he has formed a formidable and dedicated coaching team who will integrate seamlessly into our existing set-up as we look to build on the foundations we’ve laid during our adaptation to life back in the EFL.”

Maynard will have a new striker at his disposal as the signing of Gambian striker Alassana Jatta on deadline day has finally been confirmed following the granting of his visa. Jatta arrives from Danish club Viborg: the consortium which owns them includes County's owners, Alexander and Christoffer Reedtz. The brothers took the club over in 2019, and have employed a similar model to Brentford owner Matthew Benham to facilitate County's rise up the divisions.

The club benefits from the expertise and financial support of their football data analysis business, Football Radar, which sells data to football clubs gamblers. Its net worth has risen 150% since the takeover, from a starting point of £4 million, it seems the arrangement is mutually beneficial. Certainly, eye-catching signings like that of Macaulay Langstaff suggest their data is reliable: he is currrently top scorer in the division, seamlessly making the move up from the National League. Indeed, he is on the verge of an astounding feat, as he was top scorer in the National League last season, and of the National League North the season before with Gateshead.

That phenomenal 3-year burst of goals seemed to come out of nowhere, as his first 5 years of senior football yielded a mere 16 goals in 206 appearances, with all those goals being scored at National League North level. However, he then blossomed to strike 32 goals in 44 appearances, convincing County to take a punt on him. The rest is history as he has hit 63 goals in 81 appearances for County thus far, attracting the interest of clubs in the Championship.

A penalty area specialist, Langstaff has been supported by a talented array of creative talent. Ruben Rodrigues has gone, having signed for Oxford in the Summer, but the likes of David McGoldrick, Aaron Nemane, John Bostock and Dan Crowley (who is also in double figures for the season), have kept him well supplied.

However, the king of the assists, not just for County but in the entire division, is Jodi Jones.His arrival in the January transfer window of 2023 was another inspired piece of business as he immediately settled into the side. He'd suffered an horrendous series of fitness problems prior to arriving at Meadow Lane, including 3 ACL injuries, but given continuity he made a terrific impact on County's season and scored a priceless last minute winner against Boreham Wood in the semi-final of the play-offs.

"That moment made all the rehab worthwhile. It wiped out all of the injury nightmares and made me feel so proud. There were so many times I could have crumbled, but that moment made me feel happy to have carried on."

-Jodi Jones on scoring against Boreham Wood

He continued where he left off at the start of this season, providing 4 assists in a remarkable 5-5 draw with Grimsby, the first player in the top 4 tiers since Harry Kane in 2020. The 18 assists he has managed this season means he has already broken the League Two record.

"I can only thank my team-mates," he told Sky Sports, "The way we work and the things we do allow me to get the ball and put it into dangerous areas. When you've got players like McGoldrick, Langstaff, Crowley and Nemane getting on the end of them, you know you've got a chance of getting loads of assists."

"A target that I set myself is to get as many assists as possible so hopefully I can keep that up. When I get on a good run of form I don't get too far ahead of myself, because you know you can get hit with a setback, I try to stay level-headed."

"Without being too biased I think we're the best team in the league. The way we play is something I really enjoy. We have been unlucky in some games and we're still working on things but with these players, we do need to get promoted. It's something I believe will happen."

HEAD TO HEAD

A game against Notts County doesn’t need to be sold to either set of supporters. Our titanic struggle for the National League title last season has bonded the two clubs in a profound, if unexpected manner. We set a national record for the most points won in a season, and we had to as The Magpies also smashed the previous mark in pursuit of us.

The clash between the two sides at the Stok Cae Ras at the end of last season will go down as one of the true classics of our history, with Ben Foster’s remarkable last-gasp penalty save from Cedwyn Scott already an iconic moment.

There were other heroes that day though: Paul Mullin and Jacob Mendy scored to overturn a half time deficit, and when County equalised with a quarter of an hour left, we swiftly went up the other end and got a winner through Elliot Lee.

Our 2-0 win at Meadow Lane earlier in the season means we go into this game with the upper hand in recent clashes, but actually we’ve only won 3 of the last 9 games in this fixture, the other win coming when James Jones struck a last minute winner in a FA Trophy quarter final in 2022.

#DATAANORAK

County might have access to sector-leading data analysis, but there are some basic numbers which must have them scratching their heads. Their away form is bewildering: only the top two have scored more on the road than County, but despite that their away record is worrying. They have lost more away games than anyone else in the top half of the table, won fewer than anyone else in the top 11, and only Swindon and bottom club Sutton have conceded more in away matches. Incrediblly, they were 18th in the away table before winning at Newport in midweek.

Moving on to the sort of data County actually focus on, there's one fascinating stat which sums County's style of play perfectly. Opta's data illustrates spectacularly just how extreme their short passing game is compared to the rest of the division. Keep searching down at the bottom right corner of the graph and you'll find them eventually! Wrexham, in contrast, are slap bang in the middle, suggesting we are more comfortable mixing play up than anybody else.

Per Opta

The success of their focus on possession is shown in their xG figures. They are one goal behind the top scorers in the division, Stockport, but are the highest scorers in the division in open play, and have the highest xG in open play too, but are outperforming it by 8 goals. Their set piece stats are the opposite though: they have the lowest xG in the division from restarts, and least efforts on goal from set plays.

Of course, Wrexham are strong on set pieces, having had the most shots, second highest xG and third most goals scored from them in the division, but both sides are strong when defending set piecesounty have conceded the 5th fewest shots on goal from set plays, and Wrexham the 6th.

TODAY’S OTHER FIXTURES

AFC Wimbledon v Morecambe

Bradford City v Sutton United

Colchester United v Accrington Stanley

Crawley Town v Forest Green Rovers

Crewe Alexandra v Harrogate Town

Grimsby Town v Doncaster Rovers

Newport County v Gillingham

Salford City v Barrow

Swindon Town v Milton Keynes Dons

Tranmere Rovers v Stockport County

Walsall v Mansfield Town

We're the match of the day, but there's plenty of interesting encounters elsewhere. Crewe are the only side in the top 9 apart from us to have a home game, and they'll be fancying their chances against Harrogate, who had a bit of a rough ride in midweek!

There's a terrific queue of clubs behind County searching for a play-off spot: 5 sides are within 2 points of them and two of those sides meet when Wimbledon face Morecambe.

POTENTIAL MILESTONES

Ben Tozer's 500th league appearance.

Jordan Tunnicliffe's 325th career match.

Aaron Hayden's 250th career game.

Will Boyle's 250th league match.

Sam Dalby's 150th league appearance.

Paul Mullin's 125th Wrexham match.

Max Cleworth's 100th career appearance.

Match Reports

REPORT | Wrexham AFC 1-0 Notts County

Red Dragons climb back into top three after impressive win

17 February 2024

Steven Fletcher’s seventh league goal of the season lifted Wrexham AFC back into the automatic promotion spots, as they claimed a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Notts County at the STōK Cae Ras.

The visitors started strongly, as Arthur Okonkwo made a number of crucial saves to keep the scores level early on.

Fletcher then went on to break the deadlock after 20 minutes, as his acrobatic effort rifled into the back of the net to give Wrexham an important advantage.

David McGoldrick thought he’d levelled the scores in the 70^th minute as he found the back of the net from close-range, but it was ruled out for handball almost immediately.

The fourth official indicated a minimum of seven minutes added-on, but the Wrexham faithful rallied behind the side as the Red Dragons held on for a crucial three points against last season’s National League title rivals.

Phil Parkinson made three changes from Tuesday night in Sutton, as James Jones, Ryan Barnett and Paul Mullin came in.

They replaced Jack Marriott, Luke Bolton and George Evans - who suffered an injury in South London which forced him to be substituted.

David McGoldrick got the match underway in North Wales, and the visitors quickly tested Parkinson’s side as Arthur Okonkwo was called into action after just one minute and seven seconds.

Dan Crowley’s impressive cross from the right found the prolific Macaulay Langstaff in Wrexham’s box, but Okonkwo was more than equal to his powerful header from close-range, producing a heroic save to keep the scores level.

Eoghan O’Connell was then called into action, deflecting an effort from County’s number nine, before Steven Fletcher produced an acrobatic clearance from inside the box to keep the deadlock intact.

After suffering through and initial spell of pressure from the Magpies, the Red Dragons were eventually rewarded for their patience as Fletcher netted the first goal of the match after just 20 minutes.

Barnett was enjoying a plethora of success down the right-side, and it was his cross that found the former Scotland international, who challenged for the initial header in a crowded box.

The 36-year-old was most alert, and it paid off for the forward, as whilst falling to the ground, he managed to produce a technically excellent volley into the far corner which left Luca Ashby-Hammond with no chance.

Okonkwo yet again made a fine stop, this time denying David McGoldrick’s left-footed effort after 24 minutes at the STōK Cae Ras, which seemed destined to reach the back of the net.

O’Connell was yet again forced to take evasive action, as he headed Jodi Jones’ dangerous cross onto Okonkwo’s post in the 36th minute, with the visitors attempting to level proceedings in North Wales.

There were late claims for a penalty with a minute remaining in the first half, as Mullin managed to get around Jaden Warner in the Notts box, before he was seemingly brought down under pressure from the defender.

Despite that, referee Carl Brook waved away any protests, and Wrexham headed into the interval with a one-goal advantage against Stuart Maynard’s side.

Having grown into the match towards the end of the opening 45, Wrexham came back out full of confidence, and it showed on the pitch.

Fletcher almost doubled his tally for the afternoon, as he tested Ashby-Hammond – who he found off his line. The forward’s header was a fair effort, but County’s keeper just about managed to recover and caught his attempt after 53 minutes.

Just seconds later, Barnett drove up the pitch with great enthusiasm and confidence, dispatching his opposite number with ease, before picking out Elliot Lee in the box.

Wrexham’s number 38 rose highest and produced a great glancing header, but his effort drifted just wide of the left-post much to the relief of Notts County.

Not content with a narrow lead, Parkinson’s side continued in their pursuit of a crucial second goal, and they almost did just that in the 56th minute.

James McClean found Will Boyle directly from a corner, and the defender almost netted his second goal in the space of a week.

Boyle climbed highest to connect with the set-piece, but his bouncing header cannoned against the underside of the crossbar with Ashby-Hammond all but beaten.

Three minutes passed, with the game continuing to move at an impressive pace, and Okonkwo made yet another vital save for the Red Dragons as he denied Scott Robertson’s first-time effort.

McGoldrick later had the ball in Wrexham’s net with 20 minutes remaining, but it was instantly ruled out for handball against the ex-Republic of Ireland international prior to his strike on goal.

Ashby-Hammond was yet again called into action on several occasions, as Mullin and Jacob Mendy both tested the young keeper in the search of a second goal to double Wrexham’s advantage.

It didn't matter that Wrexham couldn't grab a late goal, as they held on magnificently through seven minutes of added-time to secure a vital three points to climb back up the Sky Bet League Two table.

Wrexham AFC: Okonkwo, Cleworth, O'Connell, Boyle, Barnett (Mendy 78’), Jones (Young 88’), Cannon, Lee, McClean (C), Mullin (Marriott 78’), Fletcher (Palmer 78’).

Subs Not Used: McNicholas, Tozer, Bolton.

Notts County: Ashby-Hammond, Cameron (C) (Chicksen 79’), Crowley, Langstaff, Jones, Nemane, Baldwin, Bostock (Colkett 82’), McGoldrick, Robertson (Austin 82’), Warner (Macari 79’).

Subs Not Used: Stone, Rawlinson, O’Brien.

Match Attendance: 12,532 (1,147)*

*The highest attendance for a league game at the STōK Cae Ras since March 1980 (Shrewsbury Town).

Ticket News

TICKET NEWS | Notts County (H) on sale to Club members from Monday January 22

Tickets will go on sale from 10am on Monday morning

22 January 2024

Tickets for our Sky Bet League Two match against Notts County on Saturday, February 17 at the STōK Cae Ras will go on sale to all Club members from 10am on Monday January 22.

Digital match tickets can be used for this fixture, and to use this feature select print-at-home/digital tickets, and you will receive an email with a link to your digital ticket, which can be added to your Apple or Google Wallet.

If you decide to use a digital match ticket, please ensure that your phone is well-charged, the screen is not damaged or cracked and that the brightness on your device is turned up whilst presenting your ticket at the turnstiles.

Members can purchase one ticket per account for the match, while the ticket ballot for UK members who are unsuccessful in getting a ticket, will open at 4pm on Monday.

In line with our previous ticket sales will be limited to a maximum of six per transaction – regardless of the size of your network for both in-store and online purchases.

How to purchase tickets

Tickets can be bought in-store or via our eTicketing website, at the below prices – supporters are reminded that online purchases are charged at a lower price to in-person purchases.

As in line with previous fixtures, there will be no queuing system in place for purchasing tickets for this game.

For instructions on how to ensure you have activated your eTicketing account and have the correct privileges attached, please see this guide.

Tickets can be purchased as eTickets/print-at-home or as paper tickets.

As ever, the Club would encourage supporters to use the eTicket/print-at-home option wherever possible.

The club advises fans to purchase tickets online to avoid disappointment, as tickets will not be exclusively held for those attempting to purchase in-person.

Ticket Pricing

Online Purchases

Macron Stand/Wrexham Lager Stand

Adult: £24
Over-65s/Under-21s: £19
Under-18s: £12
Under-11s: £8

STōK Cold Brew Coffee Stand

Adult: £22
Over-65s/Under-21s: £17
Under-18s: £11
Under-11s: £8

Temporary Kop Stand

Adult: £20
Over-65s/Under-21s: £15
Under-18s: £9
Under-11s: £6

In-person Purchases

Macron Stand/Wrexham Lager Stand

Adult: £25
Over-65s/Under-21s: £20
Under-18s: £13
Under-11s: £9

STōK Cold Brew Coffee Stand

Adult: £23
Over-65s/Under-21s: £18
Under-18s: £12
Under-11s: £9

Temporary Kop Stand

Adult: £21
Over-65s/Under-21s: £16
Under-18s: £10
Under-11s: £7

Any supporters requiring accessible tickets pay as per the relevant age bracket.

For any assistance, please email ticketoffice@wrexhamafc.co.uk.

Accessible Tickets

Wheelchair users enquiring about our accessible viewing platforms, and supporters looking for tickets in, or more information about, our PG1 autism-friendly quiet zone should contact disabilityinfo@wrexhamafc.co.uk.

Accessible tickets can now be purchased online for this game, speeding up the ticketing process for supporters.

All users who are eligible have already had their ticketing accounts updated with the required information and required number of companions.

As such, users will simply need to login to their accounts and it will automatically pick-up whether they are an ambulant disabled customer, or wheelchair user and allow them access to select the area which meets their requirements.

Users will only be able to select the number of companion tickets required in accordance with their eligibility criteria (i.e. a user eligible for one companion ticket will only be able to select one companion ticket).

Companion tickets will be auto-allocated to their own "companion" account which has already been created for each eligible user, will not affect the “one ticket per member” policy, and must be purchased with an accessible ticket (companion tickets cannot be purchased on their own).

The Club reserves the right to alter the process for accessible ticket purchases for any future matches.

Ticketing Ballot

As a part of the Club’s membership package, UK members can gain access to the ticketing ballot should they not be successful in initially purchasing a ticket.

After the discussion at the Club Advisory Board meeting and the subsequent members survey, the clear outcome was that Wrexham AFC supporters are in favour of changing the way our ticketing ballot works for home matches.

The allocation will be 25 percent of the initial available allocation of home tickets and so the number of tickets being balloted will increase or decrease on a game-by-game basis in line with factors such as the away supporter allocation and segregation requirements.

The Ballot will open at 4pm on Monday January 22 and close on Tuesday January 23 at 4pm.

The ticket exchange for Notts County will be opened up at 4pm on Tuesday January 23.