Wrexham struck twice after the break to earn victory away to rivals Notts County at Meadow Lane, and move level with the second-placed Magpies in the EFL League Two table.

Elliot Lee's deflected strike broke the deadlock after an enthralling game to that point - though the final touch may even have come off club captain Ben Tozer.

And Ollie Palmer hit a second just moments later, not long after stepping off the bench, to wrap up victory to the delight of a packed and vocal away end.

After the narrow win against Sutton United in mid-week, Phil Parkinson made several changes for the top-of-the-table clash at Meadow Lane.

Sam Dalby, Andy Cannon and Elliot Lee all came into the starting line-up, and there was a further enforced change when Jordan Tunnicliffe was injured in the warm-up – to be replaced by Ben Tozer.

It meant Tozer captaining the team, in between George Evans and Tom O’Connor at the back, while Andy Cannon slotted into central midfield on his return from suspension.

There was then a further injury concern when Jacob Mendy pulled up just minutes in, attempting to block a shot from David McGoldrick. The wing-back was able to continue after treatment from Kevin Mulholland, however.

Jodi Jones skipped past Mendy to cross on seven minutes, and David McGoldrick followed in after Tozer’s clearance, but shot well over.

It took a while for either side to create any clear-cut chances. Wrexham’s closest early chance came when Lewis Macari stook a boot out to beat Dalby to the ball, and Sam Slocombe had to tip the deflection over the bar on 14 minutes.

At the other end, McGoldrick was again the quickest to react to a loose ball, when Aaron Nemane’s 16^th-minute cross was not dealt with, but he shot straight at Arthur Okonkwo.

A loose ball broke for Paul Mullin in the Notts County half on 18 minutes, and the striker attempted an ambitious long-range shot, but Slocombe claimed it very comfortably.

Notts County should have been in front just a minute later, however, when Kyle Cameron strode forward and put a cross on a plate for Macaulay Langstaff, but the striker headed straight at Okonkwo.

The two teams continued to trade chances, with Elliot Lee’s glancing header dropping wide on 21 minutes when Ben Tozer’s throw-in drifted all the way through for him six yards out.

Jacob Mendy’s deflected cross in the 29^th minute then spun agonisingly away from goal after looping over Slocombe, and Mullin could not wrap a boot around it at the back post.

Tensions threatened to boil over in the 37^th minute, when Jodi Jones and Mullin clashed on the touchline after a routine challenge, with both players earning yellow cards.

James Jones then lined up a long-range piledriver on 40 minutes, but again his effort lacked the power to truly test Slocombe.

Slocombe was at his best in the first minute of four added on, however, getting across to claw Lee’s looping header – from Mullin’s cross – away from the top corner.

Jodi Jones then should have put Notts in front with almost the last kick of the half, when a loose ball broke to him on the edge of the area, but he curled his shot wide.

Half-time took the sting out of the game as both teams, unchanged at the interval, looked to gain the upper hand after the break.

Cannon won an important header on 55 minutes, to play Dalby in, but the striker’s low, right-footed shot was saved low.

At the other end, just moments later, Jodi Jones tried to catch Okonkwo out with a shot from a tight angle, but the Wrexham keeper parried it over.

Good build-up play by Wrexham in the 62^nd minute led to Lee finding space to shoot right-footed, from James Jones’ cut back, but Slocombe tipped the shot over.

The goalkeeper saved well again on 63 minutes, when Dalby shot from close-range, though he did not know much about it as it hit his shoulder – although the referee had spotted an infringement.

Notts County’s response was to replace Aaron Nemane with Sam Austin midway through the half, though their next big chance came on the opposite flank. Langstaff spun well in the area and shot right-footed but it flashed just wide of the near post.

Phil Parkinson then made Wrexham’s first change, as Palmer replaced Dalby for the final 20 minutes.

Wrexham were in front on 73 minutes – and while there was debate over who got the final touch, there was no doubt it was Lee who made the goal. The midfielder burst into space outside the area and hit a low shot, which may have hit the stricken Tozer as it looped up over Slocombe and in.

Notts could have had an immediate response, when the ball was worked to McGoldrick after a loose defensive pass, but Okonkwo saved well – parrying the shot wide.

And just a minute later, Palmer doubled Wrexham’s lead. Okonkwo’s long clearance sailed all the way through for Mullin, who laid off for his strike partner to hammer a low finish beyond Slocombe from close range.

The win means Wrexham and Notts County are level on 30 points and +5 goal difference in second and third in the table after 16 matches.

Line-ups

Notts County: Slocombe, Macari, Baldwin, Cameron, Nemane (Austin 67), Crowley, O’Brien, Palmer (Randall 77), Jones, Langstaff, McGoldrick

Subs: Stone, Rawlinson, Adebayo, Mahovo, Tipton

Wrexham: Okonkwo, Evans, Tozer, O’Connor, Mendy, Cannon (Young 86), Jones, Lee, McClean, Mullin (Fletcher 90+1), Dalby (Palmer 70)

Subs: Howard, Boyle, Forde, Davies

Referee: Marc Edwards

Attendance: 16,083 (2,863 away)

Bookings

Notts County: Crowley (28, foul), Jones (37, foul)

Wrexham: Jones (6, unsportsmanlike behaviour), Mullin (37, foul), McClean (43, foul)