Wrexham AFC: Paul Mullin has not silenced doubters yet despite Rotherham winner - View | OneFootball

Paul Mullin still has a big point to prove after scoring Wrexham's winner on Saturday at Rotherham

Wrexham have impressively won back-to-back promotions from the National League to League One under the ownership of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

But the Red Dragons do not seem intent on stopping their meteoric rise through the leagues in the third tier, and currently sit second in the League One table after 11 games played.

Striker Paul Mullin has been a key figure for the Welsh side during the unrelenting success of the last two seasons, as he scored 24 goals in League Two last campaign, after producing a whopping return of 38 goals in 46 2022/23 National League appearances.

The 29-year-old was the hero for the Red Dragons yet again on Saturday as they defeated Rotherham United 1-0, as Mullin scored the only goal of the game.

Remarkably, the ace opened the scoring at the New York Stadium after just 16 seconds, which set the tone for an afternoon in which Wrexham managed their first away win since August.

Paul Mullin still has a big point to prove for Wrexham in League One

While the striker has rightfully received plaudits for his match-winning exploits on Saturday, his goalscoring record in League One still leaves a lot to be desired.

His goal at Rotherham was his first league strike of the current season, meaning he has scored just one in nine third tier appearances - albeit he has only been named in Phil Parkinson's starting 11 in League One on two occasions after recovering from back surgery in the summer.

But the Red Dragons should be more concerned by the fact that, historically, in his career, Mullin has not hit the same sort of prolific numbers in the third tier as seen from him in both League Two and the National League.

The striker's only previous stint in League One came during the 2019/20 campaign, in which he managed just three goals in 20 appearances for Tranmere Rovers.

But during the 2020/21 season, he managed to score 32 goals in 46 League Two appearances for Cambridge United, helping the U's win automatic promotion, showing he was at least more-than good enough for that level of football.

However, Mullin did not take up the opportunity to remain with the U's following their promotion to League One, and instead dropped two divisions to join Wrexham - then of the National League.

While there were clear monetary benefits to making the switch to North Wales, and the Red Dragons were still in the early days of the exciting project overseen by Reynolds and McElhenney, perhaps Mullin also made this move due to the fact that he had recently struggled in the third tier.

Although he has now got his League One goalscoring tally up and running this term, he still has a big point to prove that he can produce the goods in the third tier, especially since he is now plying his trade for a side who have aspirations of winning yet another promotion.

Rotherham moment could be the confidence boost Paul Mullin needs

Although the 29-year-old still has a long way to go in terms of showing that he can be the man to provide the clinical edge for the Red Dragons in League One, his winning goal on Saturday afternoon will have certainly boosted his confidence.

Furthermore, the fact he managed to put his side in the lead after just 16 seconds shows just how much of an appetite the forward has to catch his opponents unaware.

However, if Mullin is handed more starting 11 opportunities by Parkinson and does not display the sort of form he has shown for the Red Dragons in both League Two and the National League, then critics will begin to question the forward's third tier credentials.