Wrexham’s Championship Playoff Push Gains Momentum with Dramatic Late Victory
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A pair of stoppage-time goals propelled Wrexham into sixth place in the English Championship,intensifying their bid for a historic fourth consecutive promotion.
- Wrexham defeated Queens Park Rangers 3-2 with goals in the 90th and 91st minutes.
- The victory marks the first time this season Wrexham has reached the Championship playoff positions.
- Ollie Rathbone scored the winning goal,his fifth in his last 10 appearances.
- Wrexham, co-owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, are aiming for promotion to the Premier League.
Wrexham’s improbable climb up the English football pyramid continued Saturday with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Queens Park Rangers, a result secured by two goals in the dying moments of the match.The win lifted the Welsh club into sixth place in the second-tier Championship, placing them firmly in contention for a playoff spot and a potential shot at promotion to the Premier League.
Late Drama at Loftus Road
Steve Cook initially appeared to have given Queens Park Rangers the lead with a late goal, but the complexion of the match shifted dramatically in stoppage time. Following
Parkinson Praises Team Spirit
“You saw how quickly we got the ball and got back [after the late equaliser],” Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said after the match. “We smelt blood. You can feel that as a team sometimes. Their lad got sent off, I don’t know whether that impacted it or not, but you felt that we were the team most likely to go and win it.”
A Remarkable Ascent
Wrexham have played 29 of their 46 games in their first second-tier campaign since the 1980s, following an unprecedented three straight promotions. Their journey has captivated fans worldwide, fueled by the investment from actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney since their acquisition of the club in 2020. The story has been chronicled in the Emmy-winning television series, “Welcome to Wrexham,” which began with their promotion from the non-league fifth tier in 2022.
The club bolstered its squad considerably during the summer transfer window, bringing in 13 new players for an estimated total expenditure of around $40 million, repeatedly breaking their own transfer record in the process. Josh Windass was among those new arrivals.
Parkinson also highlighted the impact of his substitutes, praising rathbone’s recent form. “The winner was Rathbone’s fifth goal in his past 10 appearances. And I paid tribute to the two substitutes. Josh showed astonishing technique and what can I say about Ollie — his goals-per-minutes, it’s probably the top in the league,” he added.
parkinson emphasized the importance of team unity, especially from players not regularly in the starting lineup.”The big thing for us was that we were leaving players out of the team that may have expected to play. I felt the professionalism of the group got us the win. Players are always disgruntled when they’re not in the team, but there was a togetherness about the group and that showed, particularly with josh and Ollie.”
Parkinson also acknowledged the challenging playing conditions. “It was arduous out there. It’s probably the worst pitch in the division. To go away with the three points is a big bonus for us.”
Data from The Associated Press and PA was used in this report.
