Wrexham assistant Steve Parkin hails hat-trick hero Steven Fletcher

Posted Tuesday, January 02, 2024 by PA

Steven Fletcher showed his quality with a hat-trick in Wrexham’s 4-1 League Two comeback win over Barrow, according to Dragons assistant boss Steve Parkin.

The Bluebirds took a first-minute lead through Kian Spence’s finish before the hosts scored three times in 14 minutes of first-half stoppage time, played as a result of Barrow’s David Worrall being knocked out and leaving the pitch on a stretcher.

Fletcher’s brace and Paul Mullin’s free-kick all in the space of five minutes put Wrexham ahead at the break, with Fletcher completing his hat-trick after half-time with a pinpoint header, leaving Parkin to sing his praises.

He said: “It’s great for him. He’s had a long and illustrious career where he’s been a top player and he’s got off to a great start here and then sadly had that little knee injury that’s just held him back for three or four weeks.

“He’s been great in training over the last couple of weeks and he’s great around the dressing room and the lads and today he’s shown what a great player he is.

“We were delighted to get in at half-time in front. I think we needed a goal to give us a spark.

“I think the goal that they got shocked everybody a little bit, it rocked us on our heels a wee bit and we were just a little bit impatient with the football during the first half.

“But towards the end of the first half when we got the goals I always felt that we were going to come on strong.”

Barrow’s Pete Wild revealed Worrall was taken to hospital but was conscious, while his replacement Luca Stephenson was also taken off on a stretcher after being knocked out in an aerial challenge but did not need to go to hospital.

Wild said: “We’ve started brilliantly today. I thought for 40-odd minutes we were brilliant and we took it to Wrexham, like we’d spoken about we wanted to do.

“We end up having a mad 10 minutes and all three goals are completely avoidable.

“Wrexham are in complete control of the football match and they come out in the second half and have the ability with the players they’ve got to control the football match and they’re ruthless with the fourth.

“It was a game too far, I think. We’ve worked ever so hard across the Christmas period. We’ve given everything we’ve got for the football club.

“Unfortunately it wasn’t our day today. We’ve gone 14 unbeaten, we’ve been unbelievable, they’ve been unbelievable, they’ve given everything they’ve got for the football club.

“I think there’s been so many good things across this run, it was going to come to an end at some point.”