Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson explains why he benched ‘special’ striker Paul Mullin for Sutton clash as Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s side end losing streak

Mullin was given a rare rest against Sutton, as he sat on the bench until the 72nd minute, when he replaced Marriott. Parkinson has explained that the decision was taken purely to keep the striker's energy levels up, having scored 10 goals and provided five assists in the league this season.

He told reporters: "I think with Mulls, we brought Jack in, not to replace him by any stretch of the imagination but to give him a bit of a breather. If you think over the last two and a half years. Every time he's been fit he's played practically 90 minutes and sometimes you know we've got to keep him fresh because he's a special player for us. And sometimes I think with Mulls he'll get kicked from pillar to post by defenders and I told him that I thought it was a day for Jack and Fletcher to start and Mulls to come on when the game opened up. Him and Ollie when they came on, I thought they were excellent. They changed the game for us when we needed them the most. I walked on at the end and in that short period they emptied the tank for the team and that was so important."

Wrexham had lost four games in a row in all competitions but got back to winning ways thanks to goals from William Boyle and Elliott Lee. Parkinson's side are now fourth, six points behind leaders Stockport with a game in hand.

Parkinson's men have a quick turnaround for their next fixture, as they play last season's promotion rivals Notts County on Saturday. They will then play MK Dons on Tuesday, explaining Parkinson's need to rotate his squad.