Sam Smith has lift-off! New Wrexham signing bags first goal to fire Red Dragons to crucial victory over Northampton

Wrexham took the lead in the 19th minute when January signing Smith raced onto a Mark Howard ball over the top, before slotting home to score his first goal for his new team.

Oliver Rathbone doubled the visitors' lead three minutes later when he scored a scrappy goal as the ball eventually went in off the post.

James McClean's corner then hit the post, before Rathbone fired just wide as the Welsh side deservedly went into the break two goals to the good.

Northampton improved in the second half, which also involved a scuffle late on between both teams, but never really looked like threatening the Red Dragons' goal at Sixfields Stadium.

Parkinson's men remain third in League One, one point behind second-placed Wycombe Wanderers and eight adrift of runaway leaders Birmingham City.

While Eoghan O'Connell put in a confident display at the back and Rathbone was busy throughout, Smith took his first Wrexham goal with aplomb and led his team's attack well. Parkinson will hope that is the first of many from the 26-year-old.

Despite having much of the ball in the second half, Northampton as a whole barely laid a glove on Wrexham. They failed to register a single shot on target against a side who are not nearly as strong on the road.

Wrexham will look to kick on from this result when they host League One play-off hopefuls Leyton Orient on Tuesday night at Stok Cae Ras.