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PHIL PARKINSON | "Fully focused" ahead of Notts County

Wrexham boss aims to make it nine unbeaten in first vs second clash

4 October 2022

Phil Parkinson’s side is in good spirits but fully focused on the task at hand ahead, of this evening's top of the table clash against Notts County.

Ben Tozer and Paul Mullin’s goals provided late drama at Boundary Park, putting Wrexham two points clear at the top of the Vanarama National League.

The victory now extends the club's unbeaten run to eight games, with number nine firmly in their sights at Meadow Lane.

Notts are hot on Wrexham’s heels in second place, and Parkinson believes he has the plan to take the three points this evening.

He said: “We’re pleased to be going into the game off the back of a win at the weekend.

“It’s a great game to be involved in, it’s a fantastic pitch and a traditional football stadium.

“We’re going to Meadow Lane with a clear method of how we need to go about our performance.

“Everyone is in great spirits as you can imagine, and they looked in good shape during training.”

The two clubs faced off three times during the 2021/22 season, with both sides claiming victories along with a draw in the first instalment at The Racecourse.

Both sides have changed since the FA Trophy Quarter Final, which saw James Jones send Wrexham through at the death.

For Notts, they’ve made changes on and off the pitch, most notably Luke Williams stepping into the helm as Head Coach.

Despite different personnel in the dugout, the Wrexham boss explained he sees many similarities between them this season and last.

He said: “Notts County have a new Manager but it’s a similar style and system to how they played last season.

“The dynamics at the top of the pitch have changed, with Kyle Wootton going and Macaulay Langstaff coming in.

“We know a lot of their players; they know a lot of ours and we’ve always had good, entertaining games and I expect this one to be no different.”

The two players highlighted in the build-up by both sets of supporters are Paul Mullin and Macaulay Langstaff, and the key battle in both boxes.

Mullin, who finished as last season's National League top scorer goes up against Langstaff, who won the same accolade in the National League North.

Both strikers have found free-scoring form again this season, but Parkinson added that both teams will have done their research to nullify each other’s strengths.

He said: “Both sides have talents in their teams and goal scorers are always in the spotlight.

“Mulls and Langstaff have had a good start to the season and I’m sure they’ll be working on ways to restrict Paul.

“We’ve looked at the strengths of their front players because it’s not just down to one player, to see how we can make life as difficult as possible for them.

The victory against Oldham drew a different kind of performance for the Red Dragons, as they had to remain patient for opportunities, but when they got them, they punished the Latics.

It was the first time Wrexham have fallen a goal behind since Chesterfield away back in September, showing how dominant games have been in recent weeks.

Reflecting on the victory at the weekend, Parkinson paid tribute to the supporters but also how crucial it is to now focus on tonight’s match.

He said: “You’ve got to win different types of games; you face different scenarios and challenges in games and on Saturday we found the answers.

“As we expected it was going to be a tough game, David Unsworth’s players ran further than they had all season and put a lot of effort in.

“They made it difficult for us, but we found the answers, and we’re looking to do the same in a different way at Meadow Lane.

“It was a good day for everyone including the supporters that were there, and we enjoyed that feeling of victory, but now we’re fully focussed on tomorrow night [speaking on Monday].”

 


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