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Ged Scott
�鶹Լ�� Sport at Croud Meadow

Wrexham’s loud 1,700 away following have made this Oteley Road’s first sell-out in five years.

Image source, �鶹Լ�� Sport

Victory today for Wrexham would see them qualify for the fourth round of the FA Cup for a second straight season, having bowed out at that stage against Sheffield United in the last campaign.

Wrexham, who were then in the National League, forced a replay against the Blades and were still in the replay at Bramall Lane before a mistake from defender Max Cleworth gifted a goal to Billy Sharp in injury time.

Cleworth has impressed since returning to the Wrexham starting line-up in December, and the 21-year-old identified that Sheffield mistake as a turning point for him.

"I've added that maturity and learnt from making mistakes, the Sheffield United game was a big moment to learn from," said Cleworth.

"In general I believe in myself a bit more now which at times before I didn't.

"Now I'm playing my game, being free when I'm on the pitch, and being positive while doing the defensive side of the game right.

"I've taken more responsibility on my shoulders to impact the game. Ultimately that comes from yourself, you have dips in form and ups and downs, but having that consistency is what makes you a good player and that's what I'm aiming for."

Cleworth has been part of the Wrexham set-up since the age of 12 and knows more than most players in the squad the importance of today's game against rivals Shrewsbury.

"The atmosphere between the two sets of fans will be a big one, quite heated," said Cleworth.

"We have to try and use that but not get over the top with that."

The bookmakers make visiting Wrexham the slight favourites today, but Dragons boss Phil Parkinson disagrees.

"It's going to be a great cup tie, there's a lot of elements that add excitement to the day," said Parkinson.

"But purely from the football side of it, it is a good test for us and a good benchmark.

"The importance of this game for the supporters of both clubs is out there and the lads will have a clear understanding of that before the game kicks off.

"But it's also about having a clear game plan of how to get through to the next round.

"This is what the FA Cup is all about, a team from a higher division and a local rival. Our supporters have backed us incredibly well over the Christmas period and it is a game to go and enjoy."

Parkinson took no issue with Tom Flanagan's fighting words.

"He [Flanagan] is only saying that they are League One and we are League Two, and that's a fact," said Parkinson.

"Of course, the team mid-table in League One and doing reasonably well are going to be favourites against a team a division below.

"We've got to go there with that underdog mentality and understand that to get through we need to reach the levels we did on New Year's Day [against Barrow] and probably above that.

"We're a team that is used to playing with expectations on our shoulders, we feel we've created a team with the mentality to cope with that and this will be no different.

"The reality is we're playing a team with established League One players who will have been hoping at the start of the season to push towards the play-off places so we know it is going to be a huge challenge."

Image source, Getty Images

Shrewsbury defender Tom Flanagan was keen to point out that today's hosts sit a division above their visiting Welsh rivals.

While it is Wrexham who may have the Hollywood owners and the spending power, Flanagan issued a reminder that it is the hosts who have the recent supremacy.

"They are a League Two team,” he said.

“Who owns them, what they wear, who they are, has no bearing on the game whatsoever.

"Let’s make sure it is known they are coming here as a League Two team. Other League Two teams have been here and we have beaten them. And the expectation is that we will beat them.”

Fighting. Talk.

Image source, Getty Images

So, Shrewsbury and Wrexham, why the beef?

Why will there be no Welcome to Wrexham today in Shropshire?

Certainly, geography is a factor, 30-odd miles apart and separated by a border, this was a rivalry that brewed throughout the late 1960s and 1970s when the clubs played regularly in Division Three and the hostilities haven't gone away.

Shrewsbury are geographically a club without an obvious rival and, if their fans already disliked Wrexham before their Hollywood takeover, you can imagine what the sentiment is like now.

Only 11 places separate the sides in the football pyramid but, of course, Shrewsbury are a League One side, while Wrexham, though chasing back-to-back promotions, are in League Two.

It is the hosts who have enjoyed the most recent meetings between the sides, having won five of their past six meetings with Wrexham in all competitions.

The last game, a 3-0 victory for Shrewsbury in League Two in April 2008, all but confirmed Wrexham's relegation from the Football League and triggered their subsequent extended run in the Conference/National League.

Wrexham are also unchanged having beaten Barrow 4-1 in League Two on New Year's Day.

Former Scotland striker Steven Fletcher scored a hat-trick in that game and leads the line with Paul Mullin.

Wrexham: Okonkwo; Cleworth, Tozer, O'Connor; Forde, Cannon, Evans, Lee, McClean; Fletcher, Mullin.

Subs: McNicholas, Boyle, McFadzean, Barnett, Jones, Young, J. Davies, Bickerstaff, Dalby.

Shrewsbury Town manager Matt Taylor names an unchanged side from the 3-1 League One win over Fleetwood on New Year's Day.

Young Irish midfielder Roland Idowu could make his debut from the bench.

Shrewsbury: Marosi; Feeney, Dunkley, Anderson; Benning, Bennett, Kenneh, Perry; Sobowale, Shipley, Bowman.

Subs: Burgoyne, Sraha, Bayliss, Idowu, Pierre, Winchester, Mata, Loughran, Whitney.

Image source, Getty Images

Good afternoon.

Welcome to Croud Meadow for today's FA Cup clash between Shrewsbury and Wrexham.

It's just a short 31-mile journey down the A5 for Wrexham's supporters today for what is a game with plenty of spice as these two rival clubs meet for the first time in over 15 years as this cross-border rivalry is reignited.

Wrexham might consider Chester to be their biggest rivals, but there is no doubt there is no love lost with Shrewsbury, whose supporters certainly will not have been watching the Dragons on Disney+ and declaring them their 'second team'.

Before we delve into this rivalry, let's have a look at the teams, shall we?