Wrexham has reignited its push for a Sky Bet Championship play-off spot with a convincing 2-0 victory over Stoke at home. Following Hull's draw with Birmingham, Wrexham has narrowed the gap to sixth place to two points with three matches remaining.
The team's recent losses to Southampton and Birmingham had created an air of unease, but first-half goals from George Thomason and Josh Windass, scored just 69 seconds apart, greatly improved the mood. For Stoke, this marks their sixth consecutive away defeat, dropping them to 17th place. Wrexham's manager, Phil Parkinson, made four changes to the lineup after back-to-back defeats, including a notable switch in goal, with Danny Ward replacing Arthur Okonkwo. Ward, a Wales international, had not played since dislocating his elbow in late August.
Wrexham started the match with urgency, and there was an early call for a penalty when Sam Smith was shoved by Bosun Lawal, but the referee was uninterested. The breakthrough came when Thomason's corner found its way into the net, and Windass scored the second goal just over a minute later, capitalizing on a mistake by Aaron Cresswell. After the break, Stoke showed some ambition, but Wrexham nearly scored a third goal when Jesurun Rak-Sakyi's panicked clearance almost led to an own goal. In the closing moments, Stoke came close to reducing the deficit when Lamine Cisse struck the crossbar, but their final hopes disappeared when Million Manhoef drove the ball wide.
Wrexham's Phil Parkinson stated, 'The aim has been to take this to the wire, and that's what we spoke to the lads about. Let's not hand the play-off place to the other teams.' He emphasized the importance of accountability and performance levels to win games at this level. Parkinson also expressed gratitude for Birmingham's draw with Hull, which has given Wrexham a bonus.
He looks forward to the next match against Oxford, hoping to keep the momentum going until the end of the season. Stoke's manager acknowledged that there wasn't much difference in the match until two pivotal moments and emphasized the need to address several issues. The manager is determined to rectify the problems and is looking forward to making necessary changes in the summer to ensure the team's long-term success.