Rathbone's stunner gives Dragons flying start to the new year

OLLIE

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Rathbone marked his first league start of the campaign with a goal-of-the-season contender as Wrexham brushed aside Blackburn 2-0 to rack up their third straight Championship win.Phil Parkinson's side were without an away win in eight outings and made the trip to Ewood Park without injured duo Kieffer Moore and Josh Windass.

But Sam Smith and Rathbone deputised to devastating effect as Wrexham flew out of the traps and Smith finished clinically in the 11th minute for his second goal of the season.

Rathbone doubled the advantage with a sublime volley, catching the ball perfectly as it dropped over his shoulder to score for the second successive game.

Although Moussa Baradji struck the woodwork in the second half for Blackburn, Wrexham never looked like surrendering the lead.

It was as insipid as Blackburn have been at home and, with one win in eight, Rovers will need to be much better to extinguish relegation concerns.