On Saturday, Wrexham achieved their first home win in what felt like forever, beating Oxford United 1-0 at the Racecourse Ground. Nathan Broadhead had netted the game winning goal in the first half. It was his fourth of the season and it pushed Wrexham out of a four-game winless streak. It was a cool autumn afternoon for the match. Wrexham showed remarkable spirit, competing with ten men for the last third of the match after Callum Doyle was sent off.
Even Phil Parkinson, Wrexham’s manager, sounded half-relieved and half-irritated after the match. He did not play down the narrow victory but focused on his team’s lack of offensive rhythm. They found it hard to carry positive energy from one game into the next. Next up for Wrexham, however, this victory stretched the Dragons’ unbeaten run against the Us to an impressive 13 matches – a run stretching back to March 1983.
A Hard-Earned Three Points
Wrexham’s first-half performance proved crucial as they created several scoring opportunities, culminating in Broadhead’s goal. The home side certainly should have put the game away by adding to their lead, missing several key opportunities.
Doyle’s sending-off in the 67th minute added pressure to Wrexham’s defense, but they managed to hold on for the win. Parkinson was full of praise for his players for their tactical discipline and physicality for the entire match.
“The lads did exactly what we asked them to do in terms of imposing our shape onto the opposition. Everyone did the role for the team in and out of possession. There was a good physicality about the team.” – Wrexham’s Phil Parkinson
Their FA Cup victory over Sheffield United was a much-needed boost. It’s been a long campaign for the Reds, but the squad have recently made great efforts to build up a greater home fortress. It was their sixth try to get that first home win this season, making the win all the more delightful.
Close Calls and Defensive Heroics
Even when reduced to ten men, Wrexham’s defense stood strong. Oxford pushed desperately looking for an equalizer, but the Lions midfield and backline were entirely ironclad and unbreakable. That was when Arthur Okonkwo made a key stop, plunging to his left to keep out Brian De Keersmaecker’s low shot that might have brought the scores level.
In the dying moments of the match, Oxford’s Jamie Cumming was forced to tip away a left-footed effort from Sam Smith, preserving Wrexham’s slim lead. The away side appealed for a stoppage-time penalty when Callum Morton was brought down. When their request for an appeal was rejected, their anger intensified.
The victory marked a significant turning point for Wrexham, who now look to build on this momentum moving forward.
Reflections on Performance
Wrexham will be happy with their hard-fought victory but still have cause for concern about consistency and performance levels from both teams. Oxford’s boss, Gary Rowett, shared his own frustrations in his post-match comments.
“It is incredibly frustrating (result). I got angry in there (dressing room). I am fed up seeing us perform really well one game and look a completely different team in the first 30 minutes of the next.” – Oxford’s Gary Rowett
Rowett’s comments reflected a common theme in football: the challenge of maintaining high performance levels over consecutive matches. For Wrexham, though, this triumph provides inspiration as they look to establish themselves in the Sky Bet Championship.
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