Josh Windass’s 34th-minute goal has given Wrexham a 1-0 half-time lead over the Blues in the fourth round of the FA Cup at the Racecourse Ground.

Town boss Kieran McKenna made 10 changes with George Hirst skippering for the first time and Dan Neil making his full debut.

Alex Palmer returned in goal with Ben Johnson at right-back and Elkan Baggott, making his first start for the Blues since September 2023, at left-back.

Cedric Kipre, the only survivor from Saturday’s 2-1 win at Derby, was alongside Jacob Greaves at the heart of the defence.

In midfield, full debutant Neil came in alongside Jens Cajuste with Kasey McAteer on the right, Sindre Walle Egeli the number 10 and Chuba Akpom on the left, with Hirst the central striker.

Young left-back Somto Boniface was on the bench alongside first team regulars and third-choice keeper David Button.

Wrexham made five changes from the 2-0 home defeat to Millwall at the weekend with Ryan Longman, George Thomason, George Dobson, Windass and Sam Smith coming in for Issa Kabore, Ben Sheaf and former Blues striker Kieffer Moore, who dropped to the bench, while Libby Cacace and Matty James were absent due to injury.

Ex-Town attacker Nathan Broadhead was among the subs having overcome a groin problem.

Within a minute of the start, Wrexham, who didn’t have a shot on target in the Championship 0-0 draw at Portman Road, should have gone in front.

Home keeper Arthur Okonkwo kicked long beyond the Town backline and Palmer nodded weakly away to his left from outside the area. Windass pounced on it and hit a low strike from a tight angle which the keeper saved but couldn’t hold onto. Smith followed up and his effort, fortunately for the Blues, ended up trapped between Palmer’s legs.

On five, a defender got in ahead of Hirst as he looked to get a header on a cross from the right, then two minutes later McAteer sent over a more dangerous low ball from the same flank but the stand-in skipper scuffed his effort well wide.

The game was held up in the 10th minute for Akpom to receive treatment having taken a blow to the head, the on-loan Ajax man eventually returning to the action.

In the 17th minute, Cajuste’s long throw from the left was flicked on by Baggott and Akpom stooped to head wide when he will believe he should have hit the target.

Three minutes later, with the Red Dragons having their first spell on the ball of the game, Ollie Rathbone sent over a dangerous cross from the left which Johnson nodded behind ahead of a Wrexham attacker at the back post

Following the resultant corner, Windass struck a powerful low shot which Palmer batted behind to his left.

The home side continued to have the better of it with Town looking more and more disjointed

And in the 34th minute, the Welshmen went in front. Kipre lost out in a battle for the ball on the left and it was sent across the area to Longman on the right. The former Hull City man cut inside Baggott and hit a shot towards the far post that Windass turned home from close range.

Palmer, who had had a less than confident start to the match, kept the scoreline at 1-0 in the 41st minute, getting across and up superbly to tip Rathbone’s top-corner-bound shot wide.

After the corner, Rathbone hit another effort, this time low at Palmer’s left post, and the keeper saved comfortably.

The home side continued to have the better of it and in the 43rd minute Rathbone sent a dangerous low ball across the six-yard box, Greaves clearing behind ahead of Smith.

Town were on the ball and looking for an opening around the Wrexham area as referee Ben Speedie blew his whistle to end the half.

But in truth, having been on top for the first 20 minutes or so, the Blues had been very much second best from there.

After making a poor start in which Wrexham could have been gifted the lead, Town passed the ball around confidently and created a couple of decent openings, Hirst missing his kick and Akpom heading across the face and wide, the second opportunity one which should have been taken.

Wrexham then won a number of corners which the Blues backline and Palmer repelled, although not entirely comfortably, and the momentum of the game changed direction.

From there, the Welsh side were on top and might well have doubled their lead with Palmer making a vital save to keep the deficit to 1-0.

Town will need to improve significantly in the second half with the team very much looking like one featuring 10 changes.

Wrexham: Okonkwo, Cleworth, Hyam, Doyle, Longman, Dobson, Rathbone, Thomason, O'Brien, Windass, Smith. Subs: Burton, Keillor-Dunn, Cadamarteri, Kabore, Sheaf, Moore, Scarr, Barnett, Broadhead.

Town: Palmer, Johnson, Kipre, Greaves, Baggott, Neil, Cajuste, McAteer, Walle Egeli, Akpom, Hirst (c). Subs: Button, Furlong, O'Shea, Boniface, Matusiwa, Taylor, Mehmeti, Clarke, Azon. Referee: Ben Speedie (Bootle).

Photo: Matchday Images