DEAN KEATES was delighted to kick-off what is set to be a monumental week for Wrexham Football Club by registering a welcome win.

The Reds returned to action following a near three-week break because of Covid-19 related postponements by beating bottom of the table Dover Athletic 3-1 at The Racecourse in their first outing of 2021.

It was the only National League game that went ahead and enabled Wrexham to climb up to eighth position in the table, only outside the play-off places on goal difference.

Following the final whistle, Rob McElhenney hinted that he and fellow Hollywood A-lister Ryan Reynolds are on the verge of completing their takeover of the club.

After seeing the result, McElhenney tweeted: "Should make for a fun week. Amongst other things..."

Keates, looking to build on the victory at Chesterfield on Saturday, reacted by saying: "It has come from the top that it will be a fun week.

"The win is the start to a good week for the football club to go forward on the back end of the performance.

"It has put us in play-off contention. We are level points with three or four teams around us just on the verge of the play-offs.

"All being well next week's game is guaranteed to be on and we have no issues throughout the week or Chesterfield don't have any issues.

"We will go there and do our best to get three points and push us further up the table."

Wrexham lost three of their previous four league games, including the 2-0 defeat at Stockport in the Reds' last outing on December 28, and Keates admits it was vital to get back to winning ways.

"It was a massive game for us," said Keates.

"It wasn't so much about the performance, it was about a result; we needed three points and we got three points.

"Bits and pieces in the game, there was good play in there so we weren't far off.

"There are bits that we need to fine-tune and work on but it has been stop-start, it has been a strange season for everybody, so I will give the players their due.

"They gave everything for the football club and that is how they got the three points."

Reece Hall-Johnson gave Wrexham a 32nd minute lead following a fine run but Dover equalised just before the break.

Fiacre Kelleher's header put the Reds back ahead on the hour mark and Luke Young's stoppage time penalty sealed a first ever win over Dover at The Racecourse, and Keates felt his side should already have made the game safe.

"We got what we deserved," said Keates.

"The penalty at the end makes us look what the game should have been early on.

"First half, we had a lot of opportunities and even second half, the goalkeeper made some good saves for them.

"We kept going, kept plugging away and got our reward."

Jay Harris made his 200th league appearance for Wrexham and although he gave away the free-kick that led to Dover's equaliser, Keates heaped praise on the midfielder.

"It is a great achievement for him over his two stints," said Keates.

"He was captain and did really well for us.

"He needs to make a better decision for the free-kick but he is one of those players that likes to play on the edge.

"Wrexham fans know what he is about.

"That is as good as he has played over the last few games but he has played close to the edge."

Harris captained the side in the absence of Shaun Pearson.

Pearson missed the start of the season after under-going foot surgery and although he started the previous three games, Keates revealed the Reds' skipper is still having problems.

"He is having one or two issues with his foot on the back end of playing a few games so hopefully it will settle down," said Keates.

"It is nothing untoward at the moment."