PHIL PARKINSON is pleased his side have shown they can win games in different ways after he marked his 100th game as Wrexham manager with a 1-0 victory over Southend United.

Club staff and volunteers cleared snow off the Racecourse pitch to ensure the National League clash could go ahead but it was far from a classic in difficult conditions.

But Wrexham dug deep and claimed another big win in the race for the title with goalkeeper Steve Arnold's own goal in the 38th minute proving the difference between the sides.

The Reds turned on the style when they beat Dagenham and Redbridge 4-0 on Tuesday night to move clear of automatic promotion rivals Notts County but Parkinson felt his side showed they are also up for a battle in order to get three points.

"It was always going to be a different type of game because of the conditions," said Parkinson.

"It was very tough to play in and we just had to roll our sleeves up and dig deep as a team, the staring XI, the subs, all the staff.

"We had other chances to score before we did and early in the second half we had chances but we restricted a good Southend team to very little.

"There were periods where they kept the ball but I thought the structure, shape of the team and the work won the day.

"The result is huge but if you win and Rob Lainton has had to pull off 10 great saves, and we had been under pressure, it is a different feel to what we have got.

"We have restricted a good team to practically nothing just by the work ethic of the team.

"And their goalkeeper has made some really good saves; obviously his error has cost them the game but he is a very good goalkeeper."

Victory, which extended the unbeaten league run to 25 league matches, keeps leaders Wrexham four points ahead of Notts County and both teams have nine games left in the quest for automatic promotion.

It was the perfect way for Parkinson, who took charge of Wrexham in July 2021, to celebrate his century of matches as Reds' manager.

"I have enjoyed it, it has been great," he said.

"I am just looking forward to the last nine games and concentrating on each and every one.

"We just keep concentrating on ourselves, that is all we can do and all we have done all season, and we will continue to do that."

Southend felt Arnold had been fouled by Paul Mullin when the goalkeeper attempted to claim Ben Tozer's cross but the goal stood and Parkinson felt it was the correct decision.

"Their management team are always going to be disappointed with it but it looked as if he palmed it in the net from where we were," he added.

"Whether there was any infringement, I really don't know because I haven't seen it back but at the time I thought it will be interesting to see what the referee does here because it just looked like he palmed it into the net."