Wrexham maintain promotion push with battling win over Portsmouth

Wrexham continued their push for a fourth successive promotion as they held on for a hard-fought 2-1 win over Portsmouth in the Sky Bet Championship.

The Red Dragons looked on course for a comfortable victory as Sam Smith and Max Cleworth headed home in the first half at Stok Cae Ras.

Pompey pulled a goal back through Zak Swanson as they rallied in the second half but, despite applying considerable pressure, were unable to find an equaliser.

After moving back into the play-off places with a frenetic 5-3 victory over promotion rivals Ipswich, and with an FA Cup tie against Chelsea to come, there is much excitement about Wrexham at present.

That was not necessarily evident in this contest as Phil Parkinson’s men began to look leggy and laboured after a bright start but, with another three points, momentum is continuing to build in their favour.

They threatened to take an early lead when George Dobson fired wide in the first minute but Portsmouth also made a determined start against their in-form hosts.

Pompey’s Millenic Alli put in a couple of dangerous low crosses and Gustavo Caballero had a shot blocked before leading another charge that broke down on the edge of the area.

Wrexham settled and Josh Windass dragged a shot wide from distance as they began to take control.

They opened the scoring after 23 minutes as Smith leapt high in the box to head home powerfully from a Callum Doyle cross.

Smith went close to adding a second with a superb long-range strike that goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid did well to turn over.

They doubled their lead from the resulting corner as Cleworth rose to turn in Dobson’s cross.

Pompey responded and served warning before the break as Swanson curled an effort wide.

That signalled a change in momentum and Swanson pulled one back in the 49th minute as he latched onto Regan Poole’s pass and beat Arthur Okonkwo with a shot that took a deflection off Doyle.

The visitors continued to push and won a series of corners as Wrexham struggled to get out of their own half but the Welsh side held firm.

Wrexham could have made victory more comfortable as Oliver Rathbone hit a post and George Thomason tested Schmid in a late flurry but they had already done enough.