PHIL PARKINSON dedicated victory to Wrexham supporters after his side beat Shrewsbury Town 1-0 to secure their place in the FA Cup fourth round.

Tom O'Connor's 72nd minute goal secured the win at The Croud Meadow as Wrexham, flying high in League Two, got the better of the Shrews who ply their trade in the division above the Reds.

It was the first cross-border derby since April 2008 when Shrewsbury won 3-0 against Brian Little's Wrexham whose relegation to non-league was all but confirmed.

“Today was a day for our supporters and not just the ones that were here but the ones back at home," said Parkinson.

“It’s a local derby and 16 years ago, Shrewsbury beat us to all but condemn the club to the National League.

“When you have had that pain of being a Wrexham fan during that period, it’s great that we give our supporters a day to celebrate, particularly against our local rivals."

It was a hard-fought victory and although Parkinson admits Wrexham rode their luck at times, he felt his side gave as good as they got.

"I thought back end of the first half, we got going," said Parkinson.

"Shrewsbury set-up to press us high and we created our own problems to a certain degree.

“As the first half wore on, we looked better and better and I thought, in general, we controlled the second half.

“There was a couple of chances towards the end, and we rode our luck with those, but we probably deserved it with the effort the lads have given us.

"It was a tough game but we showed that real Wrexham spirit and got through in the end."

Parkinson added: "It was a great win because it was against one of our rivals.

"When the draw came out, everyone looked at it with great anticipation so that added a lot to it.

"It wasn't just a League One team, it was Shrewsbury and it was important the lads represented the club in the FA Cup the right way because we have got a great tradition in the tournament, but so have Shrewsbury.

"Credit to both teams, it was a good, honest, committed cup tie."

Wrexham booked their place in the fourth round for the second season in a row.

The Reds beat Championship high-fliers Coventry City 4-3 in round three 12 months ago and Parkinson was delighted to give fans more to celebrate in the famous cup competition.

"The FA Cup is part of the journey we are on," he added.

"When I go around the town, many people speak about that day out at Coventry and equally, a lot of people will be remembering this for a long time because it was a very important win for our supporters.

"We gave the lads an understanding about the history and why it is such a derby.

"Obviously we have got the location with Wales-England, both teams are not far off the border and the game 16 years ago.

"The lads completely understood what they were representing and it was a brilliant day for us."