Wrexham striker Ollie Palmer netted his third goal of the season against Exeter City
Wrexham rose to second in League One after ending Exeter City's four-game unbeaten run with a 3-0 win over the Grecians at the Stok Racecourse.
Gary Caldwell's side went into the match with the best defensive record in the division, but Wrexham swiftly set about snatching that title.
Max Cleworth headed home his fifth goal of the season from an Elliot Lee corner after just seven minutes to give Phil Parkinson's side a dream start in north Wales.
And minutes after Lee had a goal disallowed, Ollie Palmer nodded Ryan Barnett's cross beyond Joe Whitworth to double the home side's lead and end his own run of 12 games without a goal.
Caleb Watts then had a goal disallowed for Exeter, and Ollie Rathbone met James McClean's corner to score Wrexham's third in the 72nd minute.
Parkinson's men climb above Birmingham City into second - four points behind leaders Wycombe Wanderers - following the Blues' 3-2 defeat at Shrewsbury Town.
Defeat sees Exeter slip to 11th.
Post-match reaction
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said:
“I thought it was a really strong performance from us today. Exeter are a very difficult team to break down and had only conceded 10 goals this season.
“I thought we played some good football, got the control we looked for in the game with Matty James and [Ollie] Rathbone in the middle of the pitch and Elliot Lee changing his position just gave us a different dynamic.
“All in all it’s great to get back to winning ways.”
Exeter City manager Gary Caldwell told BBC Radio Devon:
“I thought first half the physicality of the game and the speed of the game, we didn’t get to that early enough.
“I thought we started well but gave away too many corners and too many attacking opportunities to Wrexham because of our lack of intensity and press, lack of physicality in duels across the pitch.
“Second half I’ll give them credit – we passed the ball better and understood what we needed to play through them better without really creating enough.
“The players kept going and the players were fighting against a really strong team and strong club at this level.”
