Wrexham 'embracing' busy schedule, says Phil Parkinson

Wrexham too Championship high flyers Sheffield United toa fourth round replay

Phil Parkinson has told Wrexham's players to embrace and enjoy the pressure as they bid to end a marathon month at the top of the National League.

Victory over Chesterfield will put Parkinson's side back in the driving seat for a return to the EFL.

It will be a test of Wrexham's staying power given the visit of the Spirites is their eighth game in 25 days.

"We are enjoying it and keep embracing it," he said.

"Everybody knows at the start of the season how many games you have to play - and that's what we get paid for: playing games."

"Other teams are playing a lot of games; in the Premier League they're playing Champions League as well, high profile games.

"It's just about mentally and physically preparing yourself, switching off with your family, but then coming back to the training ground to work for the short period and making sure we have a real focus about us."

Parkinson says he has eased training in a bid to prioritise freshness and the focus he speaks of, something that has carried Wrexham through a frenzied February, including two FA Cup ties with Championship high-flyers Sheffield United.

In fact, the fourth-round replay at Brammall Lane is the only game the club co-owned by Hollywood pair Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney lost over the last month.

With 13 games to go to try and end a 15-year stay in non-league football, it is the unbeaten league run that has mattered most to Wrexham's supporters, with the 3-1 win over Dorking making it 21 matches without defeat.

With leaders Notts County suffering a surprise loss at home against Dagenham & Redbridge at the weekend - ending their own 25-match undefeated league run.

It means Wrexham are now just two points shy of their automatic promotion rivals with two games in hand, the first of which comes against Chesterfield.

"We just have to keep on winning games and Saturday was another one ticked off," said midfielder Andy Cannon.

Andy Cannon joined Wrexham on a two-and-a-half year deal from Championship side Hull City in December.

"It's a busy schedule with it having been Saturday-Tuesday all this month, but it's good, game days are exciting.

"[Chesterfield] will come with something different, and we have to have our game plan.

"There are 13 games remaining, seven at home, and we have to make it a fortress when teams come here and taken them games to them.

"We have the players and quality to do it and teams should come here feeling the pressure."

Fifth-placed Chesterfield, along with Notts County, are a rarity in the National League having inflicted a defeat upon Wrexham this season, the first of only two losses coming in August at the Technique Stadium.

Parkinson's side are yet to lose at home this year, dropping just two points from the 16 games in front of their own fans in a season where both Wrexham and Notts County look more than capable of breaking Crawley's 105-point record for a National League campaign - but only one with be guaranteed re-joining the 92 next term.

"It's great at the moment, getting up to the buzz of another home game, we'll prepare and get this place bouncing again on Tuesday," Parkinson added.

"I say to all our players and staff we've signed up to this so enjoy it and we do because it's amazing to be part of it.

"We don't moan about expectation, we rise to it and go above it , and we'll continue to do that until the end of the season. It's all about finding solutions on the pitch."