Parkinson’s warning for his Dragons

WREXHAM manager Phil Parkinson has warned his side they’ll have to be at their best when they face Marine FC at the Marine Travel Arena in the FA Cup qualifying round this afternoon.

The Dragons boss knows what it’s like to be on both sides of an FA Cup upset and is leaving no stone unturned in his quest for FA Cup progression, having personally watched Marine in their 3-0 victory over Kidsgrove Athletic in midweek.

The North Wales side go there as huge favourites but after Marine’s exploits in last year’s FA Cup run to the third round, Parkinson is adamant the side he picks will be his strongest available line-up.

Parkinson said: “We’ve been able to watch Marine beforehand and we’ve got a reasonable understanding of their players and the way they play so we know what to expect.”

“We know we’ll have to work hard, roll our sleeves up and compete for every ball. If we do that I’m confident our quality will come through.”

In terms of team selection, the Dragons boss said: “We’ve assessed everyone over the past few days and we’ll select the team that’s the right one to get through into the next round of the competition.”

Wrexham attacking midfielder Liam McAlinden is eager for progress in the competition.

He said: “It’s the FA Cup and we want to do as well as we can in this competition so we’re going there determined to get the result that puts us into the next round.”

McAlinden is enjoying his time at the Racecourse and he says the club compares favourably with others he’s played for throughout his career.

“It’s a massive club obviously and you know all about Wrexham from the outside but until you’re here and you’re living it you don’t really realise how big the club is.”

“I haven’t played in front of crowds this big since I was a youngster at Wolves so it’s great to play in front of supporters this passionate so I’m really enjoying it.”