Wrexham is considered one of the most prominent soccer success stories of recent years, having achieved three successive promotions in the last three seasons. However, the Ryan Reynolds-owned team’s Premier League promotion hopes were recently dealt a blow.
Wrexham Fail To Move Up To EFL Championship Play-Off Spot
Earlier this Tuesday, Feb. 17, Wrexham had the opportunity to cement itself as a top-six club in the EFL Championship. But, they were held to a 2-2 away draw at Bristol City in an end-to-end league contest at Ashton Gate in Bristol, England.
In the opening 20 minutes of the Championship contest, Bristol dominated much of the ball in front of their home fans. But, Wrexham midfielder Oliver Rathbone bagged the opener in the 34th minute after pouncing on a loose ball inside the hosts’ penalty box.
Following Rathbone’s fifth league goal of the season, the Welsh outfit took control of the tie until the end of the first half. However, the hosts restored parity just two minutes after the break as striker Sinclair Armstrong found the back of the net after coming on.
Nearly 30 minutes afterwards, the Phil Parkinson-coached team grabbed their second goal, courtesy of an own goal by Bristol midfielder Joe Williams. They continued to pile on some pressure on the hosts, with George Dobson missing a chance to extend the lead.
In the final minutes of the match, Wrexham conceded a second equalizer. Bristol midfielder Max Bird scored from an excellent first-time strike in the 89th minute of the Championship game, resulting in the home section of supporters erupting in jubilation.
Now, Reynolds’ club is in seventh place in the Championship table with 48 points from 32 matches, while Bristol is ninth with 47 points. Had the Welsh side beaten Bristol, they would have closed the gap on fifth-placed Hull City, who are currently on 54 points.
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Meanwhile, former England goalkeeper Ben Foster has asserted that his former team could achieve promotion to the Premier League under Reynolds and Rob Mac’s leadership.
“Getting out of the Championship is a big ask, it’s a tough, competitive league with a lot of money involved. But they’ve done it the right way, they’ve given the manager the power to bring in the players he wants. There’s no reason why they can’t keep progressing, because as an achievement, it will never be replicated again,” Foster told PA Media.
While the top two Championship outfits directly progress to the Premier League, the rest of the top six clubs compete in the play-offs to secure the final promotion berth.
