Wrexham beat Preston 4-1 as Parkinson praises response to criticism

Wrexham returned to winning ways with a 4-1 Championship victory over Preston North End at the Racecourse on Saturday, responding to their midweek defeat by West Bromwich Albion. BBC Sport Wales reported that Phil Parkinson praised his squad's response to criticism after an inconsistent start to the season, with the manager maintaining his belief that the team can be competitive.

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Joe Worrall and Ben Whiteman each scored their first goals for Wrexham as the hosts reached half-time with a 2-1 advantage. Sam Smith and Kieffer Moore then added goals after the interval to complete the victory against the Championship's bottom club. The result gave Wrexham their second home win of the campaign, following the disappointment of a 2-1 loss to West Brom at the same ground.

Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Sport, Parkinson said the players and coaching staff had needed to shut out external criticism and concentrate on their performance. He acknowledged that scrutiny follows defeats at every level of football, while saying Wrexham's profile makes that scrutiny more intense. Having managed more than 1,000 matches, he said dealing with criticism was a familiar part of the job.

Parkinson described how he and assistant Steve Parkin had been eager to work with the players again on Thursday after the West Brom defeat. The coaching staff gave careful consideration to both team selection and the approach they wanted to use against Preston. He presented the response as a challenge for the group and said he remained confident in the squad's ability.

Injuries remain an important part of Wrexham's situation. According to BBC Sport Wales, Max Cleworth, Nathan Broadhead and Dan Sheaf are among the players currently unavailable. Parkinson described the recent injury spell as potentially the worst of his time at the club, saying the absences had deprived the side of quality and technical ability.

The manager expects returning players to increase competition for places, but his immediate emphasis is on getting more from those currently available. He said Wrexham needed to bring the squad together and find more effective ways to play while waiting for injured team-mates to return.