Screen test eagerly awaited
NOTTS County seek to continue their unbeaten start to the season in North Wales tonight in their eagerly awaited televised clash with big-spending Wrexham, who many have tipped to lift the Vanarama National League title.
Ian Burchnall’s side followed up a 5-0 opening-day victory at Barnet by drawing 1-1 with Torquay United at Meadow Lane on Saturday to sit fifth in the table, one place ahead of Wrexham and on the same number of points.
Burchnall has already expressed his concern at facing two games in the space of only three days. But while the Magpies followed a trip to north London with a home game on Saturday, Wrexham have even more to complain about, a rearrangement of their opening-day fixture due to Covid-19 seeing them start their season with two away games.
Burchnall has already said he will be making changes for tonight’s game (7.30pm), with the three players who came on as substitutes on Saturday – Jim O’brien, Aaron
Nemane and Kairo Mitchell – all pushing for a start.
Left wing-back Joel Taylor, who missed the draw with Torquay after suffering a minor illness last week, trained on Friday and Sunday, and he could come back into the side at the expense of Adam Chicksen, who played the full game on Saturday.
Fans will also be hoping Alex Lacey can make his long-awaited return to action at the Racecourse Ground. The defender has been missing through injury since April but has been impressive since returning to full training and was an unused substitute against Torquay.
Striker Elisha Sam was also on the bench on Saturday and he could well play some part.
The Welsh side, who hit the headlines off the field after being taken over by Hollywood film stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mcelhenney, have invested heavily after failing to make the play-offs last season.
Boss Phil Parkinson is likely to follow Burchnall’s example and ring the changes.
The Red Dragons, who followed up an opening-day draw at Solihull Moors with a 2-0 win at Eastleigh on Saturday, are likely to be without influential defender Reece Halljohnson due to injury, while former Notts defender Shaun Brisley is yet to make an appearance.
The arrival of Canadian Reynolds and American Mcelhenney at the Racecourse Ground in November caused a major stir but that eyebrow-raising move was closely rivalled by the summer signing of striker Paul Mullin, whose 34 goals in 50 games last season saw him named League Two’s player of the year and earned Cambridge United promotion to Division One.
And last week Wrexham snapped up League One Cheltenham Town’s defender Ben Tozer for a six-figure fee. He made his debut on Saturday.
Parkinson says he will continue to further strengthen his squad as the season progresses, so there appears no doubt the Welsh club will be one of Notts’ major rivals for automatic promotion.