Wrexham will put Vanarama National League promotion thoughts to the back of their minds this Saturday when promotion rivals Leyton Orient visit North Wales for a Buildbase FA Trophy tie.
The Dragons have suffered three successive League defeats, but are still right in the promotion mix and will focus on the Trophy this weekend.
They have signed striker Cole Stockton on loan from Tranmere Rovers until the end of the season, a forward who has also played for Hearts and Carlisle United.
“Cole is a good hold-up player, bigger and stronger than we have,” said Wrexham boss Graham Barrow.
✍🏻 LOAN | Brad Walker signs for @shrewsweb but is loaned back to Wrexham for the remainder of the 2018-19 season.
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“He is a lad we have followed over time.
“Cole is a different type of striker to Jason Oswell and that gives me better options.
“We have a lot of good footballers at the club, attacking midfielders who need that type of striker to play off. Jason is more of a box player.
“Cole did well in this division for Tranmere in his last spell there and knows exactly what is required to challenge at the top end of the table.”
The Dragons have also re-signed Brad Walker on loan even though he has moved from Crewe two Shrewsbury. Walker returns to Wrexham for the rest of this season.
He had been on loan from Crewe since August, although that agreement ended after the home fixture against Dover last weekend.
After completing his full transfer to Shrewsbury, currently 16th in League One, he has returned to the Racecourse on loan.
“I really wanted to stay at Wrexham for the rest of the season and finish the job,” he says.
“We are in a fantastic position and I have really enjoyed my time at the club. I have signed for Shrewsbury now but nothing has changed in terms of my commitment and ambitions towards Wrexham’s promotion campaign.”
Wrexham fell to a third successive League defeat this week, going down 2-0 at Bromley.
The Reds hit the Bromley woodwork twice, but went down to first half goals from George Porter and Marc-Anthony Okoye.
It was centre-half Okoye who headed in at the far post from a right-wing corner after 21 minutes and Bromley hit a second goal just before the break.
Adam Mekki fired in a cross from the right and Porter, on his own just inside the penalty area, he fired a low shot across the face of goalkeeper Rob Lainton and into the far corner after 44 minutes.
Bromley won 2-0 and now Wrexham will turn to their FA Trophy tie against Orient in a bid to regain the winning habit.
Bromley: Gregory, Sutherland, Holland, Raymond, Mekki (Bugiel 77), Okoye, Porter, Wood, Brindley, Coulson (Zavon Hines 84), Hopper. Subs not used: Johnson, Goodman, Meekums.
Wrexham: Lainton, Roberts, Lawlor, Pearson, Jennings, Summerfield, Wright (Stockton 46), Young, Rutherford (Tollitt 46), Oswell (Pyke 72), Grant. Subs not used: Dibble, Carrington.
Referee: David Rock (Herts)
Vanarama National League – top five
| P | W | D | L | GD | PTS | ||
| 1 | Leyton Orient | 29 | 16 | 9 | 4 | +29 | 57 |
| 2 | Salford | 29 | 16 | 7 | 6 | +25 | 55 |
| 3 | Solihull M | 29 | 16 | 6 | 7 | +19 | 54 |
| 4 | Wrexham | 29 | 15 | 8 | 6 | +16 | 53 |
| 5 | AFC Fylde | 29 | 13 | 11 | 5 | +22 | 50 |