PHIL PARKINSON felt a combination of hard work and superb football secured a big win for Wrexham in the push for promotion.

The Reds beat Morecambe 3-1 at The Mazuma Stadium to stay third in League Two, three points behind leaders Mansfield Town and on the same tally as second placed Stockport County, and two ahead of MK Dons who sit fourth.

Play-off contenders Morecambe took a fourth minute lead and Wrexham struggled to get going but James McClean equalised before the break and second half goals from leading scorer Paul Mullin - on target for the 17th time this season - and substitute Steven Fletcher secured a second successive victory.

Wrexham controlled the game after McClean's 32nd minute leveller and Parkinson hailed his players' professionalism.

"We said to the lads, it is windy day and the pitch wasn't great but we needed to scrap out a result in those conditions and I felt we did that really well," said the Reds' boss.

"At the end, you remember the football where we have kept the ball and played some great stuff but there was a lot of hard work which came before that to get us ahead in the game.

"I was very pleased with the professionalism of the team.

"I came here against Crawley on Tuesday night and knew this would be a very difficult game but we have come through it with a great win.

"I was very pleased with everything about the display."

Wrexham have 10 fixtures remaining in the quest for a second successive promotion and the next two games are at home against Harrogate Town tomorrow night and Tranmere Rovers on Saturday.

Parkinson stressed the importance of going into the Racecourse double-header on the back of an away win.

"I said to the lads before the game that today was about setting ourselves up and starting the week well, and we have managed to do that," he added.

"We had other moments to score more goals but we are not going to go on about that because some of the play was really good.

"I enjoyed watching us today."