Wrexham will welcome old foes Tranmere Rovers to the Racecourse Ground on March 16th as the North Welsh promotion chasers will look to make it a league double against their bitter rivals.
Wrexham currently sit third in Sky Bet League Two and could return to the top of the division with a victory over 16th-placed Tranmere, who could make it two wins in their last three games.
Tranmere could also maintain their unbeaten run at the Racecourse, which stretches back to 1988, with a victory to give a sold-out away end of over 1100 members of the Super White Army the bragging rights over Phil Parkinson’s side.
Team news:
The hosts will be without their key winger James McClean who is beginning a two match suspension due to picking up his tenth yellow card of the season against Harrogate Town. Wrexham are also without midfield duo George Evans and James Jones who will not be fit for the weekend.
Tranmere currently only have one long-term injury, with Jake Leake out with a hamstring problem. Captain Tom Davies is currently being assessed after returning to training on Thursday. Davies has missed Rovers’ last two games.
Last Time out
The two sides last met in September at Prenton Park and Wrexham came away with all three points thanks to Aaron Hayden’s second-half header in front of a crowd of over 10,600.
The result was Wrexham’s first away win of the season and was an impressive display, seeing them dominate possession and pepper Luke McGee’s goal with 23 shots in total. Wrexham climbed to 13th in the table after this meeting and are now firmly in the title race going into tomorrow’s clash.
Tranmere dropped to 22nd after this result and sat only outside the relegation zone on goal difference after a very disappointing start to the season under Ian Dawes, who was sacked on September 10th.
Current Form
The hosts come into this game unbeaten in four. In their last six games, The Red Dragons have accumulated nine points drawing their last game 0-0 against play-off hopefuls Harrogate Town. As a result, Wrexham currently sit third in the division, occupying the final automatic promotion place, and are only two points off current league leaders Mansfield Town.
Wrexham should be full of confidence ahead of the clash as they are formidable at home, winning 13 times and only tasting defeat twice at the Racecourse this season.
Tranmere has seen a major upturn in form since Nigel Adkins was appointed manager permanently. Adkins has managed to steer Rovers away from the relegation battle and Tranmere are now 15 points clear of Colchester United in 23rd.
Nigel Adkins’ side looks on course for a mid-table finish in a season that has been frustrating for supporters. Tranmere did Wrexham a favour in their last match, beating Mansfield 2-1 at Prenton Park and will hope to make it two wins in two with a win against their old rivals. Tranmere have the second-worst away record in the division this season and have only taken all three points just three times on the road, losing 13 times on their travels.
Managers thoughts
Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson praised Tranmere for their midweek triumph saying that…
“It was a great result beating Mansfield and Tranmere will be lifted… but we are on a good run ourselves and we look forward to the weekend.”
Parkinson looked back on his side’s victory at Prenton Park in September fondly, saying that…
“Derby games are great and the match at Tranmere was a hard-fought win. We had a lot of dominance in that game and got the goal from a set-play with Aaron Hayden, and it was a great atmosphere.”
The Wrexham manager is hopeful that his side can get a league double over Tranmere, hoping the Red Army can be rewarded again.
Nigel Adkins was optimistic about the weekend’s clash stating that momentum is with Rovers. The former Southampton manager remains aware of the challenge that Wrexham pose despite his optimism, stating…
“It will be a tough game because it’s away from home but we know we can win away from home and we know we can beat the teams at the top end of the table.”
Adkins also praised the weekend’s opponents by saying “Wrexham are a good side” and reiterated the need for Tranmere to find the right balance in their defensive approach.
Wrexham will build their play from the back and if we try to close them down individually they’ll just pick us off for fun. Likewise, if we go charging in there they can play direct as well so we have to make sure we get our defensive resolve right. – Nigel Adkins, Friday, March 15th
Last five meetings
- 2nd September 2023 – Tranmere Rovers 0-1 Wrexham – League Two
- 27th January 2018 – Wrexham 2-2 Tranmere Rovers – National League
- 23rd September 2017 – Tranmere Rovers 0-1 Wrexham – National League
- 1st April 2017 – Wrexham 0-1 Tranmere Rovers – National League
- 10th December 2016 – Wrexham 0-1 Tranmere Rovers – FA Trophy first round
One to watch
Paul Mullin:
The former Rovers man has enjoyed a prolific chapter in his career since leaving Tranmere for Cambridge United and Wrexham. Following his spell at Prenton Park, Mullin scored 32 goals for Cambridge in their 2020/2021 promotion season to Sky Bet League One.
The Liverpudlian then moved to Wrexham in 2021 and was integral in their promotion back to the EFL. Mullin has scored 96 goals in 120 matches for the Welsh club and has currently scored 15 in the league this season, including a recent hat-trick against Accrington Stanley.
Rob Apter:
The Blackpool Loanee has certainly been Tranmere’s stand-out performer this season and is undoubtedly Tranmere’s danger man. Hailed by former Notts County manager Luke Williams as being “incredible“, after a 4-2 win over the Magpies on New Year’s Day, Apter has only continued his scintillating form.
With an abundance of pace, fantastic dribbling ability and an eye for goal, Apter is more than capable of causing the Wrexham defence multiple problems and will surely be one that Phil Parkinson’s side has done their homework on. His goal against Mansfield earlier in the week took his season tally to 10 goals in all competitions.