STRIKER Gareth Taylor is confident lightning can strike twice when his Wrexham side take on high-flying AFC Wimbledon at the Racecourse today (3pm).
Last season the Dragons defeated the Dons 1-0 at home and were unfortunate to only draw 2-2 at Kingsmeadow in the return.
Taylor expects a difficult test when Terry Brown's side, currently second in the Blue Square Bet Premier, visit NorthWales this afternoon, but the former Wales international believes Dean Saunders' men are capable of repeating last term's triumph.
Blue Square Crawley Town ............. AFC WIMBLEDON ....... Fleetwood Town ......... Luton .......................... Newport County......... Mansfield....................
"It will be a tough game, but our morale is high," said Taylor, who is enjoying his second season at the Racecourse.
"We took four points off them last season. In the 1-0 win at home, I suffered an ankle injury which kept me out for a while and my first game back was at Wimbledon where we threw three points away. Grimsby ...................... WREXHAM .................. Rushden & D'monds Tamworth ................... Darlington .................. K''minster .................... Gateshead .................. Eastbourne Borough York ............................ Kettering .................... Southport ................... Barrow........................
Bath City..................... Hayes & Yeading ........ Cambridge..................
Histon ......................... Forest Green............... Altrincham ..................
"They've kept more or less the same team, whereas we are much stronger than last season. Wimbledon have made a great start, though, and we know we'll need to play well to beat them."
Both of this afternoon's combatants are in fine form. Seventh-placed Wrexham have lost just one of their last 11 matches and are unbeaten at home.
Wimbledon will come to the Racecourse on the back of a very impressive midweek 5-2 romp at Mansfield although they did lose their two previous away starts at Luton and Kidderminster.
1444613 14356161814 13355162114 14 4 2 8 16 26 14 14347141513 14338142712 14257 172711 13148 13297 "They (Wimbledon) tend to play 4-5-1 away from home but it certainly worked for them at Mansfield - a 5-2 win is quite a statement of intent," added Taylor. "But our home defensive record is very good and will hopefully serve us well on Saturday."
Taylor believes the current Wrexham squad is much better equipped to push for promotion than last term's crew.
"I think we're miles better this season in terms of personnel and team spirit," he stressed. "The gaffer identified in the summer what was needed and has brought in some excellent players.
"We were on a great run of eight games undefeated before we lost at Grimsby, but we bounced back at Darlington and then drew with a good Fleetwood side and were robbed of a goal when the ball clearly had crossed the line.
"We are now unbeaten in two, so if we can build another good run of around eight to 10 matches unbeaten we'll be right up there."
The 37-year-old veteran of over 400 Football League appearances for the likes of Manchester City, Burnley, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United is also pleased with his own form in a Wrexham shirt.
"Although we've been playing with three up front it can be a tough job, but I played the same system with Doncaster so I'm more than happy with it," he added.
"It's been good to play six games on the spin, although Saturday-Tuesday, Saturday-Tuesday is testing, and it's been nice to bang in a couple of goals."
Midfielder Nat Knight-Percival is expected to be the only injury doubt for Wrexham ahead of the Wimbledon clash.
Knight-Percival suffered a dislocated finger in the 0-0 midweek draw against Fleetwood, but it was a kick on the ankle which could keep him on the sidelines.
Striker Andy Morrell is expected back after almost two weeks out following an ankle injury suffered at Grimsby on September 28.
Midfielder Jamie Tolley, who departed the action with an injured wrist in the first half of the Fleetwood game, is expected to be okay, as is his replacement on Tuesday Jay Harris, who was returning to the fold following a hip problem.
Defender Curtis Obeng should have recovered from a minor head injury in time for today.
Wrexham v Wimbledon, BSB Prem, today, 3pm WREXHAM (from): Maxwell, Sinclair, Ashton, Blackburn, Obeng, Pogba, Andrews, Keates, Knight-Percival, Tolley, Taylor, Mangan, Morrell, Brown, Smith, Cieslewicz.
WIMBLEDON (from): Brown, Yakubu, Franks, Harris, Bush, Jackson, Hatton, Gregory, Moore, Wellard, Jolley, Kedwell, Main, Yussuff, Turner.
BETTING (bet365.com) Match odds: Wrexham 8/5, Draw 9/4, Wimbledon 17/10
