SHAUN PEARSON is confident Wrexham can make a three-man central defence a success - providing they stick to the second-half blueprint at Weymouth.

Pearson returned from foot surgery to take his place in the heart of the Wrexham backline alongside Theo Vassell and Fiacre Kelleher on Tuesday night.

It was looking like a mistake to change the formation when Weymouth struck twice inside 26 minutes, but Wrexham got to grips with the switch towards the end of the first period, before a rousing second-half comeback saw them score three times without reply to snatch a memorable win.

The 31-year-old knows Wrexham must heed the warning of midweek if they are to stick with a three-man defence, supported by wing-backs, when Leamington visit The Racecourse in the FA Trophy on Saturday.

“We found a better balance with how we were playing towards in the second-half, and towards the end of the first-half as well,” Pearson told the club’s official website.

“It sounds daft, but we had more bodies behind the ball early on and we end up 2-0 down. We needed to get more bodies ahead of the ball, which then pins them back and stops them countering us all of the time.

“Jordan Davies, when he came on, played the other side of their winger and higher up, which pinned them back, rather than them always pinning us back.

“We got a little bit of fortune with Reece’s cross going in, but I think we earned that with our display in the second-half.”

And Pearson, Kelleher and Vassell will only get a better understanding of their roles in the formation.

Captain Pearson added: “The first goal was down to understanding and who was going to go where and they caught us out a little bit.

“But as the game went on, after their second goal up to the last minute when they had 10-men and we nearly threw it away, I don’t think they had another shot.

“I think we were pretty solid, we know we’ve got our vulnerabilities, but hopefully we can show more of what we did second-half and we can take it to teams as well.”

Tuesday’s clash in Dorset was Pearson’s first competitive game in over nine months, dating back to the goalless draw with Eastleigh on March 7.

On his return, Pearson said: “I felt good, I was tired towards the end when it was 2-2 and we were getting free-kicks and corners, so I said to the lads that someone else is going to have to go up.

“I could have got up there, but I wouldn’t have got back if they’d broke on us quickly.

“It’s really pleasing to get back and I felt really good, obviously after 15 minutes I was thinking ‘what’s going on here?’ But other than that, I was pleased with how I played and we showed great character to come back.

“It was a massive win for us.”

Pearson was pushing to play in Wrexham’s 3-1 defeat at Torquay United, but boss Dean Keates resisted the temptation to give his influential defender another 10 days preparation time.

Keates was delighted to welcome Pearson back at the Bob Lucas Stadium, saying: “Shaun coming back in, he’s a voice, a body we need on the pitch because he’s a captain and a leader. You can hear him, he keeps the players going.

“Two weeks he’s been pecking at my head saying he’s ready and he tried to get in at Torquay, but I thought it was the right time after the break we’ve had.

“We pushed him a lot in training, we upped his loads and there’s been no reaction.”

Vassell, who is claiming two goals in the success, was also pleased to line-up alongside Pearson on his return to the starting XI.

“It’s good to have the club captain back,” he said.

“He’s a leader at the back and that’s going to be good for the whole team, on and off the pitch.”