Wrexham 5-0 Maidstone United: Paul Mullin sparkles with classy hat-trick

Paul Mullin has scored four goals in four games for Wrexham this season.

Paul Mullin scored a hat-trick as Wrexham returned to winning ways over newly promoted Maidstone United.

His header put the hosts ahead, before Jordan Davies and a Dominic Odusanya own goal extended their lead.

Mullin scored his second from the penalty spot before completing his hat-trick with a fine individual goal.

Dragons co-chairman, actor Rob McElhenney, was present to finally see his side win, as Wrexham responded in style following defeat at Chesterfield.

McElhenney and fellow owner and Hollywood star Ryan Reynolds - who had seen Wrexham win during a solo visit last season - are in the United Kingdom ahead of next week's premiere of their much anticipated documentary series 'Welcome to Wrexham'.

Both Wrexham and Maidstone went into the game at the Racecourse with identical records - a win, a draw and one defeat following their opening three games.

Wrexham, winless in two games, started on the front foot with two early chances for Mullin, with a header from Anthony Forde's cross coming back off the crossbar before he was denied by goalkeeper Yusuf Mersin.

But the striker was not to be denied for too long, heading home after Davies had headed across the face of goal from Luke Young's corner.

Mullin, the former Cambridge United player, should have scored his second three minutes later when he capitalised on a mistake by Jack Cawley but his chip landed the wrong side of the post.

Maidstone did start to venture from their own half, although Christie Pattison's speculative long-range effort cleared the crossbar by some distance and would sum up their afternoon.

It was the home side who continued to press, with Aaron Hayden heading wide from a corner while Forde showed some neat footwork before his low shot was saved by Mersin.

The hosts did get their second goal soon after, however, with Davies opening his account for the season with a fine volley, before the lead was extended in stoppage time when the ball came off Stones midfielder Odusanya from a corner.

Phil Parkinson's side did not sit back on their lead after the break, with James Jones firing into the side netting while Davies' header was wide of the post.

However, it was only a matter of time before the pressure told and from a Young corner the ball was handled in a crowded penalty area with Mullin dispatching the resultant spot kick for his second goal of the afternoon.

With seven minutes remaining Mullin wrong-footed the Maidstone defence before unleashing a low shot which beat Mersin, completing not only his first hat-trick for the club but an impressive all-round Wrexham display.

Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said:

"It was a performance of how we want to play and how we can play. We created chances, we looked a threat on set plays and got crosses from good areas into the box.

"I think in the first 10 minutes we had more attempts on goal than we had in the last couple of games. There was a more dynamic feel about us today.

"We had to get back to the style of football our supporters are used to. - playing football but being effective as well. I'm so pleased with the lads today."