Wrexham AFC will look to confirm their place in the last 32 of the EFL Trophy, as they make the short trip to take on local rivals Crewe Alexandra at the Mornflake Stadium.
Ahead of the match, we look at everything you need to know about our opponents, the Railwaymen.
EYE ON THE OPPOSITION
Lee Bell’s side come into tonight’s match having enjoyed a strong start to the season, having lost just twice so far in the league – leaving them positioned sixth in the Sky Bet League Two table.
As a result of their successful start to the season, Bell has just been nominated for Sky Bet League Two manager of the month after collecting 11 points from five matches throughout September.
Bell’s side also lead the league scoring charts, having scored 28 times in 12 matches, making them the most prolific side so far this season.
Chris Long and Courtney Baker-Richardson lead the way having scored six goals and five goals respectively for their side, but Mickey Demetriou and Elliott Nevitt aren’t far behind with the duo tied on four goals each.
Despite their solid start to the 2023/24 campaign, the Railwaymen will be looking to bounce back from a 4-2 defeat against Salford at the weekend, which ended their six-match unbeaten run in the league.
Crewe will likely need to get something out of this evening’s match if they are to progress into the next round of the EFL Trophy, having lost their opening game 1-0 to Port Vale at Vale Park on Thursday, September 5.
LAST TIME OUT: WREXHAM AFC 3-3 CREWE
The last time that the sides met came less than two weeks ago, as Crewe travelled to the STōK Cae Ras to play out a thrilling 3-3 draw against Phil Parkinson’s side.
Wrexham made a slow start to the match and found themselves a goal down as Mickey Demetriou headed home from a corner to break the deadlock in North Wales.
Things went from bad to worse as Ryan Barnett was shown a red card in the 36th minute for a late challenge on Shilow Tracey which reduced the Red Dragons to ten-men.
Paul Mullin scored the equalizer after 40 minutes, as he produced a spectacular overhead kick for his first league goal of the season.
Chris Long scored from the penalty spot, regaining Crewe’s lead in the 49th minute – but just eight minutes later Mullin scored again to draw Wrexham level.
Crewe restored their lead in the 65th minute, as Tracey latched onto Rio Adebisi’s cut-back to fire home into an empty net against the run of play.
Just as all seemed lost, a moment of composure from Jacob Mendy provided the perfect delivery into the box, with his right-footed cross finding Fletcher at the back post.
Having struck the post earlier in the match, Steven Fletcher was the first to react, emphatically heading past Harvey Davies to score his first Wrexham goal in the 96th minute which sent the home fans into jubilation.
PREVIOUS MEETINGS
|
Venue |
Pld |
Won |
Drn |
Lst |
For |
Agst |
+/- |
|
Home |
82 |
46 |
17 |
19 |
179 |
100 |
+79 |
|
Away |
83 |
18 |
23 |
42 |
102 |
165 |
-63 |
|
Total |
165 |
64 |
40 |
61 |
281 |
265 |
+16 |
Biggest home win: 7-0 (Div 3 North) – 20 Sep 1930 & 12 Nov 1932
Biggest away win: 5-1 (Wartime Regional League North Div) – 6 May 1944
Top goal scorer: Tommy Bamford - 8 goals
HOW TO WATCH
As the fixture falls outside UEFA's Article 48 blocked broadcast hours, supporters can tune in from both the UK and internationally to watch the match live.
You can buy your iFollow Wrexham match passes here, costing £10 each. Pass subscribers can enjoy live, multi-angle match coverage with graphics and instant replays, delivered by 24/7.tv.
Match, Month, and Season passes are available to purchase from our iFollow page.
To view all package options, click here.
