Preview: Maidstone United vs. Wrexham - prediction, team news, lineups

The visitors are currently second in the table, boasting 59 points from their 25 matches this season, while Maidstone are 23rd, having only picked up 21 points from their 27 games.

Match preview

Maidstone sacked Hakan Hayrettin as head coach earlier this month following a poor run of form, with former Wolverhampton Wanderers defender George Elokobi placed in charge on a caretaker basis.

Elokobi finished his playing career at Maidstone, and the 36-year-old made a winning start to his reign as head coach, beating Notts County on penalties last weekend to progress in the FA Trophy.

The Kent outfit are on a run of six straight defeats in the National League, though, including a 4-1 loss to York City on January 7, which left them 23rd in the table on 21 points.

Maidstone have won five, drawn six and lost 16 of their 27 league games this season, but they are only three points behind 20th-placed Oldham Athletic, and there is a lot of football left to be played this term.

The strugglers have only picked up 14 points from their 13 home league matches this season, and they will be taking on a Wrexham outfit with the third-best record on their travels, having collected 23 points from their 13 National League matches away from home.

Wrexham, who have been out of the Football League since 2008, lost in the National League playoffs last term, going down 5-4 to Grimsby Town in the semi-finals of the competition.

Only first spot brings guaranteed promotion to the Football League for next season, and the Welsh outfit will be determined to avoid the lottery of the playoffs this term.

The Red Dragons will enter this match in impressive form, winning each of their last four National League matches against Eastleigh, Solihull Moors (twice) and Bromley, which has left them in second position in the table, three points behind leaders Notts County with two games in hand.

Phil Parkinson's side did lose in the FA Trophy last Friday to Altrincham, but their eyes are firmly on the league, while they are still in the FA Cup, recording a stunning 4-3 victory over Coventry City last time out, which has set up a fourth-round contest with Sheffield United at the end of the month.

Wrexham have not actually lost in the league since Notts County beat them 1-0 at the start of October, and it would certainly be a shock if they suffered a defeat to an out-of-form Maidstone this weekend.

Maidstone United National League form:

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Wrexham National League form:

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D

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Wrexham form (all competitions):

D

W

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Team News

Maidstone have not reported any fresh injury concerns from their victory over Notts County, so it would not be a surprise to see the same XI line up for this match.

Roarie Deacon was on the scoresheet against the league leaders and should again feature in midfield, while there will be another start for Jack Barham, who is the team's leading goalscorer in the National League this term, having found the back of the net six times.

As for Wrexham, head coach Parkinson made wholesale changes for the FA Trophy clash with Altrincham last time out, but the team's key players are set to return for this contest.

Paul Mullin has scored 18 league goals this season and will again be joined in the final third by Ollie Palmer, who has found the back of the net on 13 occasions in the National League in 2022-23.

There are not expected to be any surprises in the away side's XI for this match, with Anthony Forde again set to line up in a midfield position for the promotion candidates.

Maidstone United possible starting lineup:

Hadler; Binnom-Williams, Ellul, Fowler, Bone; Galvin, Deacon, Corne, Booty; Lawson, Barham

Wrexham possible starting lineup:

Howard; Tozer, McFadzean, Tunnicliffe, Hayden; Young, Forde, O'Connor; Palmer, Lee, Mullin

We say: Maidstone United 0-2 Wrexham

Maidstone will certainly have taken confidence from their penalty-shootout success over Notts County, but we are finding it very difficult to back them to get anything from this match. Wrexham are on a roll at the moment and should have too much quality for the home side on Saturday afternoon.

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