Nathan Broadhead sets sights on getting Wrexham into Championship play-offs

Nathan Broadhead has his sights set on getting Wrexham into the Championship play-offs after his goal helped edge them closer to the top six with a 2-1 home win over Preston.

The club’s record signing headed Wrexham in front in the 28th minute before Ollie Rathbone came off the bench to get a second that proved crucial as Alfie Devine pulled a late one back for the visitors.

Coming on the back of the remarkable 5-3 Boxing Day win over Sheffield United, it gave Wrexham back-to-back wins in the league for the first time this season and put them within four points of the top six.

“All we can do is look up,” Broadhead said. “Getting the three points is the main thing.

“Obviously the play-offs would be amazing but there’s a long way to go. I think we just need that belief in and around the place, for everyone to believe we can do it.”

Broadhead’s goal came on the back of what was, against the Blades, arguably his best performance for the club, with the 27-year-old showing why Phil Parkinson was so keen to bring him in from Ipswich.

“I was delighted with his performance,” the manager said. “He was outstanding, and the goal he scored, it was a brilliant cross from Kieffer (Moore) and a nice header from Nathan. He’s good in the air, he shows that all the time in training.”

Wrexham were worthy winners, having by far the better chances on the night, with Broadhead going close before his opener and Sam Smith hitting the post in the second half.

“I’m very pleased,” Parkinson added. “It was important we backed up the Boxing Day win and performance.

“We spoke to the lads about that mentality to respond to the defeat at Swansea (on December 19) and tonight, it was can we respond to a really good performance where we got a lot of praise against Sheffield United and have that accountability both individually and collectively?

“I felt we did that against a good side who are up there for a reason. But over the 90 minutes, we deserved the win.”

Preston dropped out of the top six as a seven-game unbeaten run came to an end.

Having fallen behind, they started the second half as the better team but could not capitalise on chances for Thierry Small and Devine before Rathbone doubled Wrexham’s lead.

“We weren’t at our best,” Paul Heckingbottom said. “We had good moments where we played really well, passed it really well and cut them open and looked a good side.

“But also the performance was littered with mistakes and errors and Wrexham capitalised on those.

“I said to our players, ‘when we are at our best we are more than a match for anyone’ and I feel like it’s going to take a really good side to beat us, but today we weren’t at our best.”