Wrexham secured their twelfth home win on the bounce, as Paul Mullin and James Jones sent Wrexham back to the top of the league.
More than 10,000 fans bared witness to an emphatic first-half display by the Red Dragons, via controlled, exciting football.
A magical phase of football would be the key to Wrexham breaking the deadlock. Ollie Palmer used his height and strength to flick the ball on from the halfway line, seeing Mullin use his nous to urge the ball on past his man and start a beaming run down the right wing.
The angle was forever tightening for Mullin, but a hasty Luca Ashby-Hammond in goal sought to force the Wrexham striker into a decision and a decision he made. Mullin lofted the ball over the goalkeeper from the astutely tight angle and into the far side of the net to put the icing on the cake for a quite brilliant move.
The return of Aaron Hayden, with the youthful pace of Bryce Hosannah alongside him created a bedrock for Wrexham to exert their offensive capabilities. Aldershot’s inability to create any chances or maintain possession whilst in the Wrexham half led to a constant onslaught of pressure through which they could not contain.
A scramble in the goalmouth always increases the chances of a goal and this exact scenario played out in the 38th minute. Palmer tussled and eventually poked the ball onto Mullin who smacked a swift left foot at the ball to see it fly past Ashby-Hammond and into the far corner of the goal. However, Ollie Harfield rushed onto the line and launched his body at the ball to prevent it crossing the threshold. After marking the goalkeeper for Ben Tozer’s long throw, Jones was patiently waiting inside the six-yard box for any scraps he could feed off and when the ball rebounded off Harfield, the Wrexham midfielder made no mistake and pounced.
Luke Young’s delivery has been notably observed by the Wrexham fans and it was no different in this game. Corners gave him continuous opportunities to lay the ball on a sixth pence for Palmer and Jordan Tunnicliffe in the goalmouth and on another day, they both would have thundered their headers into the back of the net.
In both of the goals, Palmer had been right at the heart of the creation. At the start of the second half, it was Wrexham’s number nine who had multiple chances to score himself though. Two clearances off the line by last ditch defending would hinder his goalscoring tally for the season, but not his performance for the afternoon, as he deservedly picked up the man of the match award.
Elliot Lee was once again proving his worth in the Wrexham side, as he pulled strings in the depths of the Shots’ half all game. His two shots on target should have equally both been goals, albeit for the heroics of Ashby-Hammond in goal. The point-blank save from Lee’s effort in the 52nd minute to claw the ball of his line was the most notable. If it wasn’t for his performance in net, the scoreline would have comfortably been doubled.
It’s important to note that the tale of the first half for the visiting side wasn’t the same in the second. They began to retain the ball for longer periods and went blow for blow with Wrexham for the first ten minutes of the second half. Chances were created every single minute and both backlines did tremendously well to hold on. Their only real opportunity of the game came in the 90th minute, when Inih Effiong’s deflected shot rose onto the crossbar and out of danger.
Wrexham therefore added to their home winning streak, claimed another clean sheet for the season and moved back to the top of the table, thanks to Notts County’s draw to Yeovil Town at Meadow Lane.
The key for Phil Parkinson and his players will now be to consolidate their lead at the top and stretch the gap in points between Wrexham and the likes of Notts County.
The focus will turn back to the FA Cup next weekend though, as the Red Dragons take on Farnborough FC in the second round of the cup, with a possibly exciting third round draw on the line.