Preview: Wrexham vs. Oldham Athletic - prediction, team news, lineups

Wrexham will be hoping to continue their promotion charge when they host Oldham Athletic at the Racecourse Ground on Saturday afternoon.

The Red Dragons are second in the National League, but they are level on points with Notts County and have two games in hand, while the visitors will commence proceedings in 14th place.

Match preview

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Wrexham are well on track to return to the EFL for the first time since 2008, having picked up 97 points in 39 games, and a victory on Saturday would see them break their record points total of 98 in the fifth tier, which was set in the 2011-12 season.

Having scored in every game since a 0-0 draw against Wealdstone back in November, the Red Dragons have already reached the 100 goals mark, while they have also kept things very tight defensively, conceding just 35, the fewest of any side in the division.

Remarkably, Phil Parkinson's side are now on a 27-game unbeaten run in the National League, having not suffered defeat since a 1-0 loss at Notts County back at the beginning of October.

All season, Wrexham have dropped just two points at home, drawing 2-2 against Woking back in February, but since then they have won five on the spin at the Racecourse Ground, conceding just two goals in the process.

Last time out, the Red Dragons ran out 3-0 winners at home to York City, in a match where goalkeeper Ben Foster made his first appearance for the club since his loan spell in 2005.

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Heading into the final stretch of the National League season, Oldham have little to play for, given that they are nine points clear of the bottom three, but 15 points off the top seven, although their fans will just be glad they avoided being embroiled in a relegation battle.

At one stage, the Latics appeared to be in trouble, sitting in 23rd place, four points from safety after a 2-1 loss at Boreham Wood back in December, but their form has improved since the turn of the year, particularly at Boundary Park.

On New Year's Day, David Unsworth's side held high-flying Notts County to a draw, before going on to beat the likes of York City, Dagenham & Redbridge and Maidstone to steer themselves clear of the bottom four.

Oldham have also managed to impress against teams competing for the playoffs, defeating Barnet 3-1 away from home, and Woking 1-0 at Boundary Park the following week, indicating they could threaten at the top end of the table next season.

That said, the Latics have struggled in the past few weeks, losing 1-0 away at Eastleigh before drawing their last three games, most recently being held to a 2-2 draw at Wealdstone, a match in which Joe Nuttall bagged a brace, the first time he has scored since February.

Team News

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Sam Dalby got on the scoresheet for Wrexham minutes after he came off the bench against York City last time out, and the 23-year-old is likely to be rewarded with a start in attack, coming in for Ollie Palmer.

Paul Mullin is a guaranteed starter alongside Dalby, having scored 31 goals in the National League this season, the second-highest amount in the division.

Goalkeeper Rob Lainton was ruled out for six weeks after injuring his knee in the recent 2-1 win at Bromley, with Wrexham immediately bringing Foster in on a deal for the remainder of the campaign, and the former England international should continue between the sticks.

As for Oldham, Bassala Sambou is now without a goal in his first three appearances for the club, having joined on a loan deal from Crewe earlier this month, and the striker could be replaced by Mike Fondop-Talum, who is in line to play against his former club.

Unsworth's options are very limited in attack, as Alex Reid will continue to miss out with a hamstring strain, while Chris Porter and Hallam Hope are long-term absentees, still unable to feature this weekend.

Wrexham possible starting lineup:

Foster; Tunnicliffe, Tozer, O'Connell, Mendy; Lee, Jones, Cannon, Barnett; Mullin, Dalby

Oldham Athletic possible starting lineup:

Hudson; Yarney, Sutton, Sheron, Hogan; Green, Shelton, Rooney, Kitching; Nuttall, Fondop-Talum

We say: Wrexham 2-0 Oldham Athletic

Wrexham have been almost flawless at the Racecourse Ground this season, even managing to push promotion-chasing Championship side Sheffield United very close in the FA Cup, and so it should be a relatively routine victory on Saturday.

Earlier in the campaign, Parkinson's side defeated Oldham 3-0 at home in the FA Cup, but the Latics have improved since then, so it could be a more closely-contested game this weekend.

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