Wrexham A.F.C. host Championship leaders Middlesbrough on Wednesday night in a match that presents a formidable challenge for the 18th-placed side. The visitors arrive at the Racecourse Ground with a 14-point advantage over Wrexham, who have lost their last two matches without scoring. Their recent form of one win, one draw and three losses in the last five games has left them 14 points behind the leaders.
Phil Parkinson's team sit on 14 points from 13 games, with a record of three wins, five draws and five defeats, having scored 15 goals and conceded 19. Their recent form shows a single victory in the last five outings, a 4-1 home win over Preston North End on Saturday 17 October, followed by consecutive away losses to Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield United. The 2-0 defeat at Blackburn on Saturday 24 October was followed by a 1-0 loss at Sheffield United on Friday 30 October. Top scorer K. Moore, with five goals this season, will be a key figure if Wrexham are to trouble a Middlesbrough defence that has conceded 17 times.
Middlesbrough's dominant form
Middlesbrough are the division's form team, sitting top with 28 points from the same number of games. They have scored in every match this season, netting 30 goals in total, and are unbeaten in their last five. Their away record shows three wins from six, including a 5-1 victory at Bolton Wanderers last month. The Teessiders will be without defender Alfie Jones and midfielder Rokas Pukstas due to calf and hamstring injuries respectively.
Head-to-head context
The most recent meeting between the sides adds to the scale of Wrexham's task. Middlesbrough secured a 1-0 victory when the teams met in early August. Wrexham's home games have been high-scoring affairs, with 18 goals across their six matches at the Racecourse this season. The fixture kicks off at 19:45 on Wednesday, 4 November, with Wrexham looking to close the gap to the teams above them in the standings.
