DEAN SAUNDERS has admitted that he felt Wrexham were due a big win ahead of Saturday’s clash against Histon on Saturday.

Wrexham ran out 4-0 winners at The Racecourse to extend their unbeaten run to eight matches and move up to ninth place in the Conference table – just three points away from the play-off places.

And Saunders, who takes his side to Grimsby Town tomorrow night, was pleased to see Wrexham win back-to-back matches for the first time since the start of February.

“Deep down, coming into the game I felt we had a big win in us but I didn’t want to say it because it is a difficult league and it can slam you in the face just when you think you are doing well,” he said.

“I was pleased we got the three points and I said, if we can win the two games it makes all those draws into two pointers so we are right in there now.

“We are eight games unbeaten so we have just got to keep it going now. If we can get to ten I will be pleased.

“We’ve got a tough game at Grimsby tomorrow, and we have to be really professional now.

“I have told them that if they want to be involved in a winning outfit you have not got to think about when is your next day off. You have got to think about getting through this season grinding results out.

“You will have plenty of time off in the summer.”

Wrexham were 3-0 up inside 38 minutes with Jamie Tolley, Dean Keates and Gareth Taylor getting on the scoresheet.

Substitute Nat Knight-Percival scored the Reds’ fourth goal against his former club 11 minutes from time and Saunders was delighted Wrexham made the most of their chances.

“It was a good win,” said Saunders. “We played some really good football and scored some great goals, and we are going in the right direction.

“Most games are like that for us and we haven’t put the chances away. Today we got the third goal.

“In the Kidderminster game, even when they came from two goals down we had chances to make it three, four, five and six, but we didn’t get the third goal.

“Histon are not a bad team, second half they could have buckled but they didn’t.

They came out and tried to stop us passing the ball around but we got the fourth goal and that was nice.”

Tolley opened the scoring and his Wrexham account after meeting Andy Mangan’s pass, while Knight-Percival also notched his first goal for the Reds – to the delight of Saunders.

“I was pleased Jamie scored because it has been coming, he has been getting in the right places,” said the Reds’ boss.

“Most pleasing for me was Nat scored. I know it was against his old club but he has been in that position so many times and the ball has not gone in the net, even as far back as the first game of the season.

“Nat has been part-time all his career so I have given him a bit of a breather but he will be a big player for us.”

Skipper Keates converted his third goal of the season with an unstoppable 25-yard free-kick that found the top corner, while midfield partner Jay Harris remained on the pitch despite nursing a hip injury because all three substitutions had been made.

And Saunders hopes Harris will be declared fit for tomorrow’s trip to Grimsby.

“It was a great goal, top corner, you can see Dean is a class player,” said Saunders. “I thought Jay played well again, he was all over the pitch.

“Jay has got a bit of a knock on his hip so I am hoping he will be alright for tomorrow.

“It was typical, I put three substitutes on, you tried to give some of the lads who haven’t played a bit of time on the pitch and you leave yourself a bit short so I had to leave Jay on.

“He has had a bang right on the hip bone, not a lot of blood gets there so they do take a while to clear up, but hopefully he will be alright.”

Andy Mangan failed to get on the scoresheet although he had two assists after setting up Tolley and Taylor, and Saunders had words of advice for the striker who joined Wrexham from Forest Green Rovers in January.

“Andy played great first half and actually made two goals,” added Saunders. “He has just got to keep going. I know how he feels, I have been there. He has just got to keep staying in the team and the goals will come back.

“Andy is only 23 and he is learning. He has played at Forest Green and no disrespect, a lot of the games were played on the break where they are defending a lot and he is scoring on breakaways.

“But he is playing for Wrexham now and we have got the ball most of the time.
There is no space behind their back four at times so he has got to learn to make chances for himself around the edge of the box with his back to goal.

“If he wants to play higher that’s what he has got to do, and he wants to do it. He just needs a goal.”