PAUL Linwood plans to make a winning return to the Racecourse on Sunday, writes Alec Doyle.
The Chester City defender played nine games on loan for Wrexham in 2005, when he was on the books of Tranmere Rovers.
Having left Prenton Park for Chester last summer, he is not expecting a warm reception from the North Wales faithful this weekend - although the 23-year-old will enjoy catching up with some of his former Dragons team-mates after the match.
'All Wrexham's derbies seem very bitter,' said Linwood. 'It seems they have made a lot of enemies.
'But I am looking forward to going back and seeing lads like Lee McEvilly, who was there when I went to Wrexham on loan.
'It won't be difficult for me - you can't let it affect you like that.'
Linwood played just nine minutes of his first Racecourse derby, coming on as an 81st-minute substitute for Tranmere in their 5-1 hammering of Wrexham in January 2005.
After falling out of favour with Rovers boss Brian Little last season, Linwood was loaned to Wrexham for three months before returning to Prenton Park to assist in Tranmere's battle against relegation from League One.
The Wirral-born defender joined Mark Wright's Blues revolution in the summer and one of his first games for the club was the home derby against the Dragons on August 20 last year.
Reduced to 10 men early on, City went on to lose 2-1 and Linwood missed a glorious late chance to steal a point when Danny Williams somehow cleared his goal-bound effort off the line.
'That wasn't a great game with us losing a man so early on,' said Linwood.
'It was harder to take than other defeats because it is around you all week with media and fans, the disappointment is a lot bigger.
'But three points on Sunday would be really good for us and if they don't get them they are in trouble so it should be a good game.'
* The departure of Jon Walters to Ipswich means Linwood is one of only two current Chester players to have also played for Wrexham. The other is midfielder Dean Bennett.
