Crunch time for Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney! Meet the teams trying to stop Wrexham’s historic promotion from League Two
Promotion fever is gripping Wrexham yet again. This season, Phil Parkinson’s side have built on their historic National League title-winning campaign tremendously, spending the majority of their time firmly in the promotion hunt.
Now, as we reach the business end of proceedings, things are getting impossibly tight at the top of the table. You can make a solid case that as many as 12 other League Two sides could feasibly still go up this season, either automatically by finishing in the top three or via the play-offs, and Wrexham know that any serious slip-ups in their remaining games will be jumped upon by the chasing pack.
But who should third-placed Wrexham – who are currently sat on 67 points – be most concerned about? Below, GOAL has taken a look at the teams the Red Dragons will be hoping to beat to a promotion spot this season…
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Mansfield Town | 72 points (1st)
Under the management of the vastly-experienced Nigel Clough, Mansfield have pieced together a watertight promotion bid, having heartbreakingly missed out on the play-offs last season on goal difference. Talisman Davis Keillor-Dunn deserves a lot of credit, with his goals and assists proving vital, but veteran midfielder Stephen Quinn has been equally influential.
This duo, as well as a couple more, combined to devastating effect back in February when the Stags romped to a 9-2 victory over Harrogate Town. They should have accrued enough points to claim one of the three automatic promotion spots, but as this season has proved, anything can happen in League Two.
Stockport County | 68 points (2nd)
Keeping hold of star manager Dave Challinor – who attracted interest from Charlton this summer – has allowed Stockport to push on this season, with the lethal Isaac Olaofe playing a major role in their success. They emerged as early frontrunners in the League Two title race, before a recent wobble saw them slip below Mansfield.
Another worry for the Hatters is that they’ve hit poor form at the worst possible time, having won just one of their last six league games. Despite this, they still have one – or even two – games in hand on a significant portion of their promotion rivals, so should be able to get over the line.
MK Dons | 67 points (4th)
They may not be popular with most League Two supporters, thanks to the controversial circumstances that led to their creation, but MK Dons look well placed to earn a return to the third tier this season.
Recovering from a woeful start – which led to Graham Alexander’s sacking in October – under the leadership of ex-Gateshead boss Mike Williamson, they are currently preparing for a huge clash against Stockport on Saturday, which could have major ramifications on the promotion race.
Crewe Alexandra | 64 points (5th)
Crewe are another team whose results have tailed off at an inopportune moment, with Lee Bell’s side winning just one of their previous four games. However, their run-in is a kind one.
They still have to play three of the bottom four, though a meeting with Wrexham in their penultimate match is far from ideal. There’s likely to be something on the line in that one, with the two teams playing out a thrilling 3-3 draw in the reverse fixture back in September.
Barrow | 61 points (6th)
After a lengthy spell in non-league, Barrow could ascend to their highest level since the 1960s by earning promotion this season. The club have been well run since their return to the Football League in 2020, and their success this season has been built on a rock-solid defence which includes former Wales international James Chester. However, at the other end, no player is into double figures for League Two goals at the time of writing.
Despite a concerning three-game losing streak in February, a play-off place is very much theirs to throw away. Winning the game(s) in hand they possess will be important, as will making sure there’s nothing riding on their final-day clash with high-flying Mansfield.
AFC Wimbledon | 57 points (7th)
Losing star man Ali Al-Hamadi to Championship Ipswich in January threatened to derail Wimbledon’s promotion charge, but Johnnie Jackson’s side are still in with a shot of going up through the play-offs.
Snapping up Ireland international Ronan Curtis on a free transfer has proved to be a smart signing, with the forward coming up with an iconic winner in a recent derby win over MK Dons, while goalkeeper Alex Bass boasts the most clean sheets in League Two.
Walsall | 56 points (8th)
Currently just outside the play-off places, the Saddlers – managed by the appropriately named Mat Sadler – dragged themselves into the promotion conversation by winning five straight games in February and March.
Things have dropped off a little bit since then, but Walsall are clearly capable of piecing together a strong run to end the campaign. And how many times have we seen the form team go on to win the play-offs?
Crawley Town | 56 points (9th)
Crawley seemed destined to remain marooned in the mid-table mire this season, but a run of five wins in their last seven – which also included a highly-credible draw with Stockport – has left them right in contention.
They haven’t been blowing teams away, but they keep on finding ways to grind out results – a quality that could prove to be extremely useful as the season draws to a close. The performances of forward Danilo Orsi-Dadamo are a big reason for their recent run and he will need to keep coming up with the goods if his side are to go up.
Gillingham | 56 points (10th)
Gillingham are a mass of contradictions. They’re averaging less than a goal per game this season and have a terrible goal difference, but if results go their way, they could end up sneaking the final play-off spot.
Like Wrexham, the Gills are bankrolled by American money, with property tycoon Brad Galinson taking control of the club back in December 2022. Since then, he’s often spoken about Gillingham’s sky-high potential, but they’ll likely need to find a consistent source of goals from somewhere to secure a top-seven finish.
Newport County | 55 points (11th)
Newport County, in stark contrast, have no problem finding the back of the net. They boast one of the league’s top scorers in Will Evans, and Offrande Zanzala’s return to full fitness could not come at a better time.
If they can end the season strongly, an all-Welsh play-off final against Wrexham at Wembley could be on the cards. The clash would be one for the ages.
Newport County | 55 points (11th)
Newport County, in stark contrast, have no problem finding the back of the net. They boast one of the league’s top scorers in Will Evans, and Offrande Zanzala’s return to full fitness could not come at a better time.
If they can end the season strongly, an all-Welsh play-off final against Wrexham at Wembley could be on the cards. The clash would be one for the ages.
Morecambe | 54 points (12th)
Morecambe’s inability to keep clean sheets has shot them in the foot recently, with Paul Mullin’s former employers shipping 11 goals en route to losing each of their last three matches.
Seeing Burnley loanee Michael Mellon depart in January was far from ideal too, with the Scotsman having bagged 13 goals in 22 appearances during a highly impressive spell. His replacement, Gerard Garner, has not proved anywhere near as prolific and this, combined with their defensive issues, means they face an uphill task to finish seventh.
Honourable mentions
Although these are the main runners and riders, there are a couple of other teams who promotion dream remains alive – though they cannot afford any slip ups if they want to fly up the table in the coming weeks.
Wrexham’s rivals from last year Notts County have not reacted brilliantly to losing inspirational boss Luke Williams, but are only six points off sixth and boast one of the best players at this level in Macaulay Langstaff. Harrogate Town are in a similar boat, as they look to reach the highest level in their history, while Tranmere, Accrington Stanley and Bradford City are just about holding out hope of an unlikely play-offs finish.
