Burkina Faso
Chinese Taipei
Nigeria

Preview: Wrexham vs. Swindon Town - prediction, team news, lineups

sportsmole.co.uk, 17 August 2023, 12:45
Wrexham and Swindon Town will be seeking to claim back-to-back League Two victories when they lock horns at the SToK Cae Ras Stadium on Saturday.

The two teams opened their accounts for the new league season in midweek, with Wrexham winning a six-goal thriller against Walsall and Swindon coming from behind to beat Forest Green Rovers.

Match preview

After failing to claim maximum points in their opening two League Two fixtures, Wrexham celebrated their first football league victory in 15 years courtesy of a 4-2 home success over Walsall on Tuesday.

Ten days on from a 5-3 opening-day defeat at home to MK Dons, the Wrexham faithful witnessed another goal-fest on home soil, with Will Boyle scoring just eight minutes into his home debut before Ollie Palmer, Jake Bickerstaff and Elliot Lee got their names on the scoresheet to help the Red Dragons pick up all three points against the Saddlers.

Manager Phil Parkinson was impressed to see a number of his key players 'step up to the plate' and believes his side are now starting to find their feet in the fourth tier after securing promotion as champions from the National League last season.

Wrexham have now scored three or more goals in each of their last seven home league games, but improvements need to be made at the back as they have conceded more goals (eight) than any other League Two team so far this season.

The Red Dragons are preparing for their first meeting with Swindon since November 2009 when they suffered a slender 1-0 home defeat to the Robins in the FA Cup second round.

Like Wrexham, Swindon picked up their first three points of the new campaign on Tuesday when they secured a 2-1 comeback victory away against 10-man Forest Green.

The Robins were trailing at half time courtesy of a 14th-minute opener from Mathew Stevens, but Daniel Kemp restored parity just two minutes into the second half before the sending off of Forest Green's Harvey Bunker on the hour mark changed the course of the game.

Indeed, Swindon pushed for the winner and were eventually rewarded thanks to a dramatic 95th-minute strike from defender Frazer Blake-Tracy, handing Michael Flynn his first victory since taking charge of the Robins in May.

Flynn admitted after the match that his side made "hard work" of their win over Forest Green and that they "would have won comfortably" if they had been more clinical in front of goal - the Robins have now scored just five goals from 56 shots across their opening three games of the new season in all competitions.

Swindon's win at Forest Green will provide a much-needed boost for Flynn's men considering they struggled to grind out positive results on the road during the second half of last season, winning just two of their 11 away games since the turn of the year.

The Robins will now look to win back-to-back away league games for the first time since December of last year when they take on a Wrexham side whom they have beaten in their last two meetings.

Wrexham League Two form:

L

D

W

Wrexham form (all competitions):

Swindon Town League Two form:

Swindon Town form (all competitions):

Advert - content below:

Team News

Wrexham are still having to cope without star striker Paul Mullin who is recovering from a punctured lung sustained on their pre-season tour of the USA, while Parkinson has confirmed that James McClean and Jordan Davies are both ruled out with respective knee and muscle problems.

Centre-back trio Boyle, Ben Tozer and Eoghan O'Connell are all set to continue in the back three, protecting veteran shot-stopper Ben Foster, while Anthony Forde and Jacob Mendy provide width as wing-backs.

Palmer ended an 11-game goal drought dating back to March with a brilliant strike in midweek and the striker will be pushing to start again in attack alongside either Bickerstaff or Billy Waters.

As for Swindon, Tyrese Shade and Tom Clayton are closing in on a return from injury but are not expected to be involved this weekend, while Reece Devine is facing an extended period on the sidelines after undergoing hamstring surgery earlier this month.

Saidou Khan, Benn Ward and Jacob Wakeling were all dropped to the substitutes' bench in midweek and will be hoping to force their way back into the first XI on Saturday.

Courtney Baker-Richardson and Shilow Tracey will be hoping to return to the starting lineup in attack at the expense of Charlie Austin and Jake Young, who both played the full 90 minutes in midweek.

Wrexham possible starting lineup:

Foster; O'Connell, Tozer, Boyle; Forde, Jones, Young, Lee, Mendy; Palmer, Bickerstaff

Swindon Town possible starting lineup:

Mahoney; Goodwin-Malife, Brewitt, Blake-Tracy; Hutton, Khan, Kinsella, Uwakwe; Kemp; Tracey, Austin

We say: Wrexham 3-2 Swindon Town

An entertaining contest with plenty of goalmouth action is expected between these two sides on Saturday and both teams will fancy their chances of claiming maximum points.

However, we believe Wrexham will follow up their midweek home triumph with another success in front of their own fans.

Previews by email

Top News

20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe may reportedly not be involved in the Coupe de France final. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United have reportedly set an asking price for one of their more experienced players ahead of the summer transfer window. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Serbia's preliminary squad for Euro 2024 has been named by head coach Dragan Stojkovic, who has called upon an initial 35 players for the national team training camp before their flight to Germany. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk West Ham United are reportedly set to announce the appointment of David Moyes's successor as manager 'later this week'. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Brasileirao Serie A side Corinthians take on Serie D America de Natal in the second leg of the Copa do Brasil third round at the Neo Quimica Arena on Thursday morning. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has issued a fresh update on the futures of in-demand trio Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta ahead of the summer transfer window. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United and Bayern Munich are reportedly among a number of clubs interested in signing Red Bull Salzburg centre-back Oumar Solet. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City midfielder Rodri has claimed that Arsenal lacked the 'mentality' to win the Premier League title and has criticised the Gunners for not wanting to beat them at the Etihad Stadium earlier this season. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk ADO Den Haag and SBV Excelsior will be looking to boost their chances of playing Eredivisie football next season when they square off in the first leg of their playoff semi-final on Wednesday. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The final chapter has closed on a captivating 2023-24 Premier League season, one which saw Manchester City earn another slice of English football history as the first team to win four Premier League titles on the spin. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The final chapter has closed on a captivating 2023-24 Premier League season, one which saw Manchester City earn another slice of English football history as the first team to win four Premier League titles on the spin. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa may reportedly be prepared to be creative in a bid to sign Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly made the decision to part ways with Ryan Sessegnon on a free transfer. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United have reportedly decided on an asking price for winger Jadon Sancho ahead of the summer transfer window. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England Under-17s manager Greg Lincoln has named his 21-man squad for the upcoming European Championships in Cyprus, with the inclusion of two highly-rated North London products. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk No coronavirus-enforced stoppages. No matches behind closed doors. No schedule-conflicting World Cup breaks over the Christmas period. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Botafogo can qualify for the last 16 of the Copa do Brasil for a third successive campaign with a win or draw in the second leg of their third-round tie against Vitoria on Wednesday at Estadio Manoel Barradas. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two sides in early relegation danger in their respective domestic competitions will be seeking a place in the last 16 of the Copa do Brasil as Atletico Goianiense welcome Brusque to Estadio Antonio Accioly on Wednesday. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Needing at least a two-goal victory to have any hope of advancing beyond the third round of the Copa do Brasil, Sampaio Correa face a tall task when they head to the Maracana on Wednesday to battle Fluminense. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The season is over and while the transfer window doesn't technically open until June 14, clubs across the UK and Europe are free to get deals in place ahead of next season. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Salernitana vs. Hellas Verona (Monday, 5.30pm) Hellas Verona travel to rock-bottom Salernitana on Monday evening, hoping to secure their Serie A status for another season. 19 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk On Tuesday, England Under-17s will kick off the European Under-17 Championship with a tricky game against last year's runners-up France Under-17s. 19 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The Manchester United squad are apparently facing the prospect of a mammoth pay cut due to their failure to qualify for the 2024-25 Champions League. 19 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk David Moyes believes he is leaving West Ham United having enjoyed a "successful" period as the club's manager and hopes they can reach new heights in the 2024-25 season. 19 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk On Tuesday, Spain Under-17s will face Iberian rivals Portugal Under-17s on matchday one of the European Under-17 Championship. 19 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta issued a short, sharp response when asked if the injury that kept Bukayo Saka out of Sunday's 2-1 win over Everton could harm his chances of playing for England at Euro 2024. 19 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has paid an emotional tribute to Liverpool's departing boss Jurgen Klopp following his final match in charge of the Reds at Anfield on Sunday. 19 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk A Liverpool academy graduate scored a landmark Premier League goal in the Reds' 2-0 beating of Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield on the final day. 19 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Pep Guardiola is confident that Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side will continue to challenge his Manchester City team for the Premier League title for "many years". 19 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Pep Guardiola has admitted that he is "closer to leaving than staying" at Manchester City after leading the club to a record fourth consecutive Premier League title.