County can move ten points clear at the top of the National League for a few hours at least this weekend, when we travel down to Somerset to take on Yeovil Town at Huish Park.
Paddy Madden’s stoppage-time winner against Solihull Moors on Easter Monday sent Edgeley Park into raptures – and rightly so, as Wrexham had been set to close the gap at the top to five points before the Irishman’s decisive late intervention.
His 20th and most important National League goal of the season instead saw us maintain our seven point lead at the top with just six games remaining, and a better goal difference of ten to the Welsh side means we are likely to need a maximum of 11 more points to secure the National League title.
Phil Parkinson’s side are in action away at Darren Sarll’s Woking on Saturday live on BT Sport, with their later kick-off meaning three points for County would see us temporarily extend that lead at the top.
Standing in our way this week are mid-table Yeovil, currently under interim management and winless in four after a 0-0 draw away at local rivals Weymouth last Monday. The Glovers sitt 12th in the table with six games to go, 16 points off a play-off place and 22 above the relegation zone.
Close to 1000 County fans look set to make the journey down to Somerset this weekend. A small amount of our allocation remain available to buy online – click here to buy yours today.
Since we last met:
The first meeting between these two sides back in September proved to be one of the lowest points in County’s season, as we fell to a 3-0 home defeat to Darren Sarll’s side thanks to goals from Charlie Wakefield, Joe Quigley and Adi Yussuf. A red card for Ash Palmer that day added further insult to injury.
Whilst that result was the continuation of a poor start to the campaign for County under Simon Rusk, for Yeovil it was a third win in their first four games, and was the start of a strong first-half to the season for the Somerset side.
Now in their third season back in the National League after relegation from the EFL in 2019, the side were sat in 9th place 18 games into the season – above County in the table and only four points off the play-off places, with a game in hand.
They also enjoyed an exceptional run in this year’s Emirates FA Cup, going one better than County by reaching the Third Round after beating League Two Stevenage, before losing out 3-1 to Premier League chasing Bournemouth at Huish Park.
Unfortunately for the Glovers, their league form began to falter either side of that big cup tie as they won just once in 14 league games, losing eight of them to all but end any hopes of a play-off push.
The side have struggled for goals all season long, not helped by the departure of top scorer Joe Quigley in February as he left for Chesterfield. Only three National League teams, Aldershot, Weymouth and Dover, have scored fewer than their 38 this season.
Three straight wins in March against Dover, Bromley and Southend looked to have got the side back on track, but the club were dealt a blow just four weeks ago by the surprise resignation of manager Darren Sarll, who left to take the vacant position at fellow National League side Woking.
Sarll had spent three years in charge at Huish Park and was a popular figure amongst the fan base, leading them to the play-off places in his first season, but he was enticed away by a Woking side sat three places below them in the league table.
In his place, Charlie Lee was named as interim manager for ‘the foreseeable future’. Lee spent two years as a player at Huish Park, leaving the club only last Summer before returning in February as Sarll’s Assistant.
Four games in to his first managerial role, Lee is still searching for his first win after draws with Barnet, King’s Lynn and Weymouth, and a solitary loss at home to Aldershot.
They do have a habit of upsetting the apple-cart against the big sides this season though – on top of that win at Edgeley Park, they are the only side to have won away at Wrexham in the National League, whilst they also beat Halifax at Huish Park back in September.
The side will surely be fired up for the visit of the league leaders this weekend, as will the home fans, as they look to secure a statement victory to help finish the season on a high.
One to watch:
In the absence of Joe Quigley, forward Tom Knowles has become the focal point of this Yeovil side. The former Cambridge United man has chipped in with seven National League goals, equalling his tally for last season and making him the Club’s top scorer.
In recent weeks he seems to have formed an effective partnership with veteran striker Ruben Reid, with the duo scoring five goals between them in Yeovil’s last six games.
Match Stats:
- That 3-0 loss at Edgeley Park earlier in the season was only the second time County had ever suffered defeat against Yeovil, in 12 previous meetings. We have never lost at Huish Park, winning three and drawing three of our six games there.
- Paddy Madden now has seven goals and four assists in his last eight National League games after his winner against Solihull. He is something of a club legend at Yeovil Town too, scoring 23 times for them in 2012-13 to secure promotion to the Championship for the first time in the club’s history.
- Like County, Yeovil have actually been better on their travels this season, collecting just 23 points from 19 games at Huish Park, compared to 28 from 20 away from home.
- After Monday’s win against Solihull, County have now equalled their highest ever points tally in a season (85), and look set to comfortably beat that record with 6 games still to go.
