It's a break from EFL action this weekend as we welcome Wrexham to the Envirovent Stadium for an eagerly anticipated first round FA Cup tie.
Simon Weaver and his side will be hoping to get back on track results wise by earning victory against the Welsh side as well as securing progression to the round two of the competition for the second successive season.
Our opponents
Wrexham have been the subject of much media attention over the past 12 months thanks to a pair of owners in Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who have garnered plenty of publicity as a result of their takeover of the club a year ago.
After missing out narrowly on the playoffs last season there were high hopes for the 2021/22 campaign, though Wrexham currently sit in 13th place, 13 points off top spot.
The past week saw the ownership duo over in the UK to take in a pair of games – a 3-2 defeat away to Maidenhead before the 1-1 draw last Saturday at home to Torquay at The Racecourse Ground leading into the weekend.
They do bring with them plenty of FA Cup heritage and were party to one of the biggest shocks in the competition when a late free-kick from Mickey Thomas and then a Steve Watkin winner dumped George Graham's vaunted Arsenal out of the cup in the third round in 1992. They have reached the quarter-final stage of the competition in 1973/74, 1977/78 and 1996/97.
They earned their place in the first round of this season's competition with a 2-0 win over Marine in a replay following an initial 1-1 draw.
Previous meetings
Wrexham will be a side well known to most Town fans from our two seasons in the National League.
In 2018/19, Town's first in the National League, Wrexham had the upper hand in the two league meetings winning 2-1 with goals from Jason Oswell and Nicky Dervedics cancelling out Mark Beck's opener after the reverse fixture in North Yorkshire ended goalless.
The clubs have also met in the FA Cup that same season with Wrexham prevailing 2-0 in a replay after the first clash at Town again ended in a goalless draw.
In the following season, which ended with Town's promotion to the EFL, there was only meeting between the sides due to the truncated league season with a Ryan Fallowfield equaliser 10 minutes from time earning Simon Weaver's side a point.
Ones to watch
Paul Mullin became the first high-profile signing when he left Cambridge United after his record breaking season where he netted 32 goals to secure promotion for the U's. The striker has netted seven times already this season.
The club also added two notable defenders who faced Town last season, with Aaron Hayden arriving from Carlisle alongside Ben Tozer, who captained Cheltenham to the title last season.
Luke Young, a relative veteran at the club now, is a key component of the Wrexham midfield alongside Jordan Davies.
The man in charge
The club are managed by Phil Parkinson, well-travelled in the managerial ranks having previously been in the dug-out at Colchester, Hull, Charlton, Bradford, Bolton and Sunderland.
Parkinson took charge of the club in the summer of 2021, taking over from Dean Keates, and has managed over 800 games, earning promotions with Colchester, Bolton and Bradford as well as guiding the Bantams to the League Cup final in 2013.
Team news
Rory McArdle remains a long term absentee following his recent surgery, while Luke Armstrong will be checked following a shoulder injury suffered against Bristol Rovers.
#ProudToBeTown