Aldershot Town face a very tough test in the National League on Saturday afternoon, when they play host to second-placed Wrexham at the EBB Stadium.
That said, the home have been in decent form of late, and it will not be easy for the visitors, who have their sights firmly set on a return to the EFL.
Match preview
Aldershot are now 13th in the National League table, having managed to create a nine-point gap between themselves and the relegation zone, although they may not be completely out of the mix, given that they have played three games more than a lot of other teams.
The Shots kicked off 2023 in the worst possible fashion, losing 4-1 away at rivals Woking before also losing their next two games, results that left them in 19th place, just four points clear of the bottom four.
However, Ross McNeilly's side have been much more solid since then, losing just one of their last nine games in all competitions, with that coming in a closely-contested 1-0 loss against promotion-chasing Boreham Wood.
That defeat came at the EBB Stadium, where Aldershot have been poor for the majority of the season, having acquired just 18 points in 17 games, while they have amassed 20 points in 15 matches on their travels.
Last time out, Aldershot picked up what can be seen as a decent point at home against fourth-placed Chesterfield, with Jake Hutchinson's 20th-minute effort behind cancelled out by a Paul McCallum goal early in the second half.
Wrexham have made all the headlines for their FA Cup run in recent weeks, going toe-to-toe with second-placed Championship side Sheffield United, but they came up just short in the replay earlier this month, losing 3-1 at Bramall Lane.
While a cup run is always nice, the Reds' Hollywood owners have made it clear that promotion is their main aim this season, and they are faring very well, currently sitting in second place, five points behind league-leaders Notts County with two games in hand.
The Red Dragons are undefeated in their last 18 National League matches, a run stretching all the way back to the start of October, and they pose the best home record in the division, winning 13 and drawing one of their 14 matches at the Racecourse Ground.
Prior to their last match, Phil Parkinson's side had emerged victorious in every single one of their home matches, but they faltered for the first time against Woking on Tuesday night, and so they will be keen to get back to winning ways this weekend.
Wrexham swept Aldershot aside in the reverse fixture earlier this season courtesy of first-half goals from Paul Mullin and James Jones, continuing a very good recent record against their opponents, having won four of the last five matches.
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Aldershot have no fresh injury concerns to deal with, and so McNeilly is likely to stick with by the team that has served him so well in recent matches.
After arriving on loan from Colchester United in January, Hutchinson has scored two goals, and he is set to lead the line again for the Shots, with Morgan Roberts and Justin Amaluzor playing provider from either wing.
As for Wrexham, Mullin is without doubt their biggest goal threat, scoring on 22 occasions in the National League this season, the second-highest amount of any player in the division.
The 28-year-old will no doubt lead the line for Parkinson's side, playing alongside Ollie Palmer, who has 14 goals in the fifth tier, while Luke Young, Andy Cannon and Elliott Lee are set to make up the midfield.
There will be no place for Tom O'Connor, however, with it recently emerging that the midfielder, who has been filling in at centre-back, will be out for at least a month, so Ben Tozer, Harry Lennon and Eoghan O'Connell are poised for starts.
Aldershot Town possible starting lineup:
Ashby-Hammond; Partington, Mnoga, Cordner; Frost, Pendlebury, Glover, Harfield, Roberts, Amaluzor; Hutchinson
Wrexham possible starting lineup:
Lainton; Forde, O'Connell, Tozer, Lennon, Mendy; Cannon, Young, Lee; Mullin, Palmer
We say: Aldershot Town 0-2 Wrexham
While Wrexham did not manage to pick up all three points against Woking last time out, their recent record in the National League has otherwise been flawless, and they should have no trouble recording a comfortable victory on Saturday.
The Shots have shown signs of improvement in recent weeks, but in truth the majority of their wins have been against poor teams, and the Red Dragons will pose a far tougher test.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Dominic Lund
