Former Plymouth and Torquay player Luke Young has put Wrexham’s promotion bid back on course.
The 25-year-old midfield man from Ivybridge in Devon fired the Dragons’ winner after 65 minutes of a fiercely contested Vanarama National League match against Maidenhead United at the Racecourse.
Young’s strike earned Wrexham a 1-0 win in front of more than 4,300 spectators.
Wrexham had suffered five successive defeats in 2019 and had failed to score in more than nine hours of football.
Young’s strike put that right and earned his team a win which keeps them in the promotion hunt.
Manager Graham Barrow was delighted with the 1-0 win and said: “It was a relief to score and great for Youngy to score it.
“He did remarkably well to go on for Summerfield and produce that performance and the goal.
“The way it’s looking, promotion is going to go down to the wire. We’re going to have to hold on tight and enjoy it. The players are handling it better than anyone.”
Barrow hailed the impact of Rekeil Pyke after the loan signing from Huddersfield put in a man of the match performance.
Pyke set up Young’s goal and Barrow said: “A little bit of power and pace can make so much difference to the whole thing.
“Rekeil seems to have come back that bit fitter and seemed to keep going. It’s something we all know he’s got.
“You saw how much he took us down the pitch. Every good team has that. We have to look after him.
“We just needed somebody to really drive and believe that we could really work them.
“Hopefully some players found themselves found the form they’ve been showing all season. We need to kick on now.”
Torrential rain in North Wales made life difficult for both teams and the result was a scrappy match with little flowing football.
😍 Back to winning ways!
🔴⚪️ #WeAreOneTeam pic.twitter.com/S5UMJXjQn5
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) January 26, 2019
Wrexham found the net late in the first half when, from a Paul Rutherford set piece, Stuart Beavon headed goalwards. When the ball ran loose Pyke fifed home from close range, but was judged to be offside.
The Dragons were not to be denied and the winner came when a low ball was fired across the box and Young was there to poke it home.
Wrexham now travel to Boreham Wood next Saturday before playing Dagenham and Redbridge at home a week later.
Wrexham: Lainton, Roberts, Jennings, Pearson, Summerfield (Young 41), Pyke (Holroyd 89), Rutherford, Walker, Wright, Beavon (Oswell 65), Lawlor. Subs not used: Dibble, Grant.
Maidenhead United: Pentney, Steer, Odametey, Kilgour, Comley, Twumasi, Clifton (R Bird 67), Akintunde (J Kelly 59), Upward, Massey, Nombe (N Owusu 75). Subs not used: Clerima, Alves.
Referee: Garreth Rhodes (Yorkshire)
Attendance: 4,323 (away 52).
VANARAMA NATIONAL LEAGUE TABLE – TOP 10
| POS | TEAM | PL | PTS |
| 1 | Leyton Orient | 31 | 60 |
| 2 | Salford City | 31 | 57 |
| 3 | Solihull Moors | 31 | 57 |
| 4 | AFC Fylde | 31 | 56 |
| 5 | Wrexham | 31 | 56 |
| 6 | Sutton United | 30 | 52 |
| 7 | Harrogate Town | 30 | 50 |
| 8 | Eastleigh | 31 | 49 |
| 9 | Gateshead | 31 | 48 |
| 10 | Ebbsfleet United | 31 | 47 |