Wrexham ended their North American tour in style with a comfortable 4-1 victory against Vancouver in their own backyard, but what four things can we take away from the match?
Following positive results against Premier League duo AFC Bournemouth and Chelsea, Phil Parkinson’s side ran riot against Vancouver in front of a crowd of just over 34,000.
The Welsh side took the lead courtesy of a superb volley from summer signing Seb Revan and held the lead going into the break.
Vancouver did respond with a moment of magic from Giuseppe Bovalina when he struck a stunning long-range effort into the back of the net past substitute keeper Mark Howard.
However, Wrexham’s dominance soon paid off as James McClean, Elliot Lee and Jordan Davies sealed their victory to make it a match worth staying up to see.
With that said, let’s take a closer look at four things Wrexham fans can take away from this result…
Organisation is key
Aside from obvious factors such as winning games and scoring goals, a lot of supporters seem to overlook the importance of being organised and Wrexham’s efforts certainly paid off.
Despite Vancouver possessing several strong attacking options, the League One side looked more than comfortable, with the MLS side rarely testing Arthur Okonkwo or Mark Howard.
The conceded goal was a moment of pure magic from Bovalina from long-range – an effort that no goalkeeper is saving. What that does mean is that Wrexham were successful in limiting the opposition as much as they could and forcing them into taking action from a distance instead of dictating the tempo in the final third.
If Phil Parkinson’s side can continue to demonstrate their organisational skills heading into the new season, they will be extremely difficult to break down which will almost guarantee them more points throughout the 46 matches.
Barney’s magic crosses are back
Having watched Ryan Barnett in greater detail during his time with Solihull Moors, one thing I am confident in stating is that his crossing ability is one of his greatest assets and that proved right once again.
Though Barnett didn’t have much to do from a defensive standpoint, he did find himself heavily involved for Wrexham going forward.
During the first half, Barnett put in a handful of good crosses into the penalty area which were dealt with by Vancouver but he continued to try.
Finally, Barnett grabbed his reward when his pinpoint cross was glanced home by the experienced Elliot Lee who made it 3-1 to Wrexham.
If Barnett can continue to deliver that excellent final ball into the right areas next season, that right-back spot has his name written all over it.
Competition for places is at an all-time high
Another thing that Wrexham’s victory did provide was a serious squad headache for manager Phil Parkinson, with the brand new season now less than two weeks away.
Understandably, Wrexham utilised their squad massively during the match but it was difficult to pick out at least one player that didn’t play well.
This gives Phil Parkinson a healthy dilemma heading into their season opener against Wycombe Wanderers next month.
If Mullin can’t be declared fit (more on that shortly), Wrexham have at least two or three players who are more than capable of stepping up to the plate.
No Mullin, no problem
Despite the absence of fan favourite Paul Mullin, Wrexham showed no signs of missing their leading man, with all of their other attackers stepping up to the plate when it mattered.
Revan scored a brilliant goal for the Welsh side to give them the lead, whilst the likes of Ollie Palmer, Jake Bickerstaff and in particular Jack Marriott all battled well against a tough opposition.
Mullin missed Wrexham’s USA tour after undergoing surgery on a minor back problem that he had been suffering with for a few years.
In America, Wrexham scored seven goals in three matches with each strike coming from a different player rather than one man grabbing all of the glory.
Although it is only pre-season, Wrexham’s ability to demonstrate that they can still deliver without their star man is something that will leave Phil Parkinson very happy.
Wrexham fans, what were your thoughts on the match?