da bet esporte: The Red Dragons have put themselves in a good position to get out of League Two – but they face stiff competition to finish the job
da luck: 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…
Getty ImagesMansfield 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.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesStockport 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.
Getty ImagesMK 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.
Getty ImagesCrewe 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.