Wrexham reignited their bid for a Championship play-off place with a composed 2-0 victory over Stoke City at the SToK Cae Ras, two first-half goals in the space of 69 seconds from George Thomason and Josh Windass settling a contest the hosts ultimately controlled with comfort.
The win moved Phil Parkinson's side to within two points of sixth-placed Hull City with just three matches remaining, after the Tigers' 1-1 draw with Birmingham City. For Stoke City, it was a sixth consecutive away league defeat - the Potters' worst such run since 2013, when they were a Premier League club - and Mark Robins' team dropped to 17th having failed to register a single shot on target in north Wales.
Anxiety in the air before kick-off
There was an air of anxiety at the SToK Cae Ras after consecutive defeats to Southampton and Birmingham, back-to-back losses for the first time since the opening week of the season. Those results persuaded Parkinson to make four changes, the most eye-catching of them in goal: Wales international Danny Ward, who had not played since dislocating an elbow at the end of August, was handed the start ahead of Arthur Okonkwo.