Harrogate Town are ready to give Wrexham a torrid time when the Vanarama National League clubs clash at Wetherby Road and captain Josh Falkingham says: “We’re desperate to win and expect to win.”
Former League leaders Harrogate were toppled when they lost 3-0 against manager Justin Edinburgh’s Leyton Orient, who took over number one spot with former Cardiff City winger Jobi McAnuff scoring two of their goals.
Now central midfield player Falkingham knows his team faces another major test when they play third-in-the-table Wrexham.
Harrogate suffered their first loss in 12 fixtures and he says: “After the start we had and the winning mentality that developed our result just makes you want to bounce back against Wrexham even more. The lads are dying to put things right.”
This is only the second time Harrogate and Wrexham have played each other. They clashed run the FA Trophy last December when the Yorkshire club defeated their Welsh hosts 2-0 at the Racecourse.
Manager Sam Ricketts and his team travel to Harrogate after losing 3-0 at Sutton United in their last match, a result which ended a run of four successive wins against Maidstone United, Havant & Waterlooville, Gateshead and Eastleigh.
Wrexham defender Manny Smith is still ruled out by injury, while midfield player Luke Summerfield travelled to Harrogate on the team bus while awaiting a decision on his appeal against his dismissal at Sutton.
The outcome is due today and Summerfield will be banned for three games should his appeal be unsuccessful.
While Wrexham take on Harrogate, Hartlepool United, undefeated in six, go to title rivals Salford City, who have won seven of their last nine games.
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Leyton Orient will think they have every chance of keeping hold of the leadership they earned in Yorkshire when manager Edinburgh takes his team to bottom side Braintree.
National League fixtures this evening: Aldershot v Maidstone United, Barnet v Havant & Waterlooville, Barrow v Gateshead, Braintree v Leyton Orient, Chesterfield v Maidenhead, Eastleigh v Boreham Wood, Ebbsfleet v Bromley, FC Halifax Town v AFC Fylde, Harrogate Town v Wrexham, Salford City v Hartlepool, Solihull Moors v Dagenham, Sutton United v Dover.
Vanarama National League table
| # | Team | Pl | HW | HD | HL | AW | AD | AL | W | D | L | F | A | Diff | Pts |
| 1. | Leyton Orient | 12 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 22 | 8 | 14 | 26 |
| 2. | Harrogate Town | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 24 | 13 | 11 | 25 |
| 3. | Wrexham | 12 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 8 | 10 | 24 |
| 4. | Salford City | 12 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 20 | 11 | 9 | 24 |
| 5. | Hartlepool United | 12 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 15 | 10 | 5 | 23 |
| 6. | Solihull Moors | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 22 |
| 7. | Sutton United | 12 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 13 | 3 | 22 |
| 8. | AFC Fylde | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 21 |
| 9. | Gateshead | 12 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 16 | 11 | 5 | 20 |
| 10. | Boreham Wood | 12 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 12 | 2 | 19 |
| 11. | FC Halifax Town | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 12 | 3 | 18 |
| 12. | Barnet | 12 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 14 | -3 | 18 |
| 13. | Barrow | 12 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 15 |
| 14. | Ebbsfleet United | 12 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 14 | -1 | 15 |
| 15. | Maidenhead United | 12 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 16 | 17 | -1 | 14 |
| 16. | Eastleigh | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 16 | -7 | 14 |
| 17. | Aldershot Town | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 20 | -9 | 13 |
| 18. | Chesterfield | 12 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 14 | -4 | 11 |
| 19. | Bromley | 12 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 21 | -6 | 10 |
| 20. | Maidstone United | 12 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 17 | -8 | 10 |
| 21. | Havant & Waterlooville | 12 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 16 | 25 | -9 | 10 |
| 22. | Dagenham & Redbridge | 12 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 15 | -5 | 9 |
| 23. | Braintree Town | 12 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 7 | 16 | -9 | 6 |
| 24. | Dover Athletic | 12 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 10 | 24 | -14 | 6 |