Wrexham 2 Cambridge United 0

FLYING winger Jonathan Brown set Wrexham on their way to victory over their promotion rivals on Thursday night and then revealed he is ready to prolong his successful stay at the Racecourse.

The Wales Under 21s international broke the deadlock with his third goal since signing on loan from Cardiff City before top-scorer Jefferson Louis sealed a welcome win for Dean Saunders’ side following three frustrating draws.

Brown’s loan is coming to an end but the 18-year-old would be only too happy to extend it if the Championship high flyers agree.

Brown said: “I love it here. I think the gaffer wants me to stay until the end of the season and I’m learning a lot from him and the players.

“It was always going to be a tough game because Cambridge are also doing well, but after a few draws we really needed a win so we’re delighted to get the three points.

“There was a little deflection for my goal but I’ll take it. We struggled to get into the game in the first 15 to 20 minutes but my goal settled us down and we started to pass the ball around and eventually they ran out of steam.”

Brown came close to adding a spectacular third when his 30-yard thunderbolt was touched on to the bar by Danny Potter, but by then a U’s team that have now not won on the road in 11 were already beaten.

The visitors only arrived at the ground 40 minutes before the kick-off after their coach got stuck in mud outside the hotel they had stopped off at for their pre-match meal.

Neither they nor their hosts looked like sides battling it out of the top Blue Square Premier in a flat first 25 minutes, with the live Setanta Sports clash only coming to life once Brown picked the ball up on the right side of the box and let fly with an effort that took the slightest of deflections before arrowing into the bottom corner.

Cambridge almost hit back immediately when Scott Rendell skimmed the post, but, with Wrexham’s back-four in commanding form and Andy Fleming and Nathan Fairhurst winning the midfield battle in front of them, they did not threaten again until late on when pint-sized substitute Felino Jardim missed an absolute sitter.

Louis was not as wasteful in the 59th minute, however, as he netted from close range to ensure the Dragons, for the first time this season, beat a team above them in the table.