PHIL PARKINSON wanted his side to step up a gear in the second half against Boreham Wood to continue the winning run and the Reds’ boss praised his players for rising to the occasion.

Third placed Wrexham beat promotion rivals Boreham Wood 4-2 in front of more than 8,700 supporters at The Racecourse to close the gap on National League leaders Stockport County to six points.

Ollie Palmer gave the Reds an early lead and although the visitors equalised before the break, Wrexham hit the goal trail in the second half.

Aaron Hayden and James Jones made it 3-1 before the Wood reduced the deficit but leading scorer Paul Mullin fired home his 17th goal of the season to complete a fantastic evening for Parkinson’s men who registered a sixth successive win in all competitions.

“I thought we started well, got the goal and then we stopped playing for a period. We let them impose their game on us a little bit,” said Parkinson.

“But then second half I thought we played really well. We went up a notch - we needed to - and when we did that we looked a really good side.

“The quality of our football was better, we were more positive in everything we did.

“To score and create against them you have got to play and when we strung the passes together, we looked a good team and obviously I was delighted with the four goals.

“I thought the game would be a lot tighter than what it was but once we got the goals, the game opened up.

“The energy in the lads was great to see because having that tempo in our play and that running power in the midfield area with Liam McAlinden and James Jones, you could see that closing down in the second period; we really stopped them at source and that was as pleasing as the goals.”

Wrexham found goals hard to come by in the league at home until recently with the Reds scoring 10 times in the last three games which all ended in victory to boost the promotion push.

Parkinson is delighted his side have become far more clinical at The Racecourse.

“I am pleased the goals have come, I always felt they would,” said Parkinson.

“In the home games where we were only scoring one but winning, we had chances but just didn’t take them.

“But we have shown that we are a clinical side which we have shown a lot on our travels in the early part of the season, and we have brought it to The Racecourse.”

Wrexham, who have 13 league games to go in the race for the title, are in a rich vein of form but Parkinson is not getting carried away and is focussed on Friday’s FA Trophy quarter-final tie against Notts County at Meadow Lane.

“We are up there, we are on a great run and we are enjoying every single game,” added Parkinson.

“The lads are great every day in training.

“Like I said after Chesterfield, it is great to win and we will enjoy that feeling but in the morning it is back on it and get ready for Friday night, and looking at the league games ahead as well.”