Wrexham continued their search for a first home victory as they were held to a 1-1 stalemate by a Burnley side that has yet to taste success this season and sits just above the bottom of the Sky Bet Championship. The match, played at the Racecourse Ground, featured a late equaliser from Jacques Ekomie, who tapped in his second goal for the club since arriving from Angers for a reported £7 million fee earlier in the summer.
His strike nullified Zeki Amdouni’s early‑half effort for the Clarets, allowing Burnley to break a run of seven consecutive away defeats that stretched back to the previous campaign. While the point salvaged a draw for both clubs, it does little to advance either side’s ambitions.
Wrexham have seen the momentum that carried them into the previous season begin to fade, and Burnley’s problems have deepened after their relegation from the Premier League, having managed just a single league win since October. The club’s recent fortunes have been further complicated by the arrival of former England international Jamie Vardy, who signed on a free transfer after the departure of top‑scorer Zian Flemming to Ipswich on deadline day.
Vardy, however, was unavailable for this fixture due to a suspension earned from yellow cards accumulated during his spell with Italian side Cremonese, meaning he watched the action from the bench. The first half saw several chances for both teams.
Wrexham appeared to be on the verge of taking the lead just four minutes in when Callum Doyle headed a ball straight at goalkeeper Max Weiss after Max Cleworth redirected Issa Kabore’s cross back into the danger area. Burnley responded in the 18th minute when Moore rose to meet a Matty James delivery, only to see his close‑range header comfortably saved by Weiss after Doyle squared the ball from James’s cross. Burnley’s attacking threat was limited, but the most promising moment came from Leeds loanee Largie Ramazani, whose movement sparked the opening goal in the 26th minute. Ramazani slipped a precise pass through the defensive line for Amdouni, who finished cleanly on his first touch.
The Swiss forward nearly added a second shortly after, as a long‑range effort deflected off Cleworth before being stretched wide by Burnley keeper Anthony Patterson. The visitors began to feel the pressure as the half‑hour mark approached. A free‑kick six minutes before the break gave Wrexham a chance to equalise, but James’s low strike was well saved by Weiss, and Kabore’s subsequent effort struck the side‑netting. The half ended with the home fans expressing their displeasure through a chorus of boos, prompting manager Phil Parkinson to make tactical adjustments at the break, including introducing deadline‑day signing Callum O’Hare for his home debut alongside fellow recent recruit Oli Rathbone.
Rathbone played a role in Wrexham’s eventual equaliser. In the 48th minute, a superb cross from Kabore found the head of Ekomie, who powered the ball past Weiss to level the scores.
The atmosphere shifted as the home side sensed a resurgence, but the momentum was short‑lived. O’Hare’s header from a James cross went wide, and Kabore, after picking up a short pass from Weiss, failed to locate a teammate with his subsequent cross. A defensive mix‑up later saw O’Hare fire a shot wide of the target. Burnley came close to snatching a winner in the 73rd minute when Ekomie blocked Oliver Sonne’s effort on the line, a moment that underscored the match’s frustration for both sets of supporters.
As the clock ticked down, neither side could find a decisive breakthrough, and the game concluded with the 1-1 scoreline. Post‑match, Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson remained cautiously optimistic. He said, “Let’s not get too despondent. Burnley were in the Premier League last year, and they’ve had a poor start, but they have quality players.
I think the second‑half performance was a lot better and I don’t want to be too down about drawing against Burnley… Respect the point. We would have loved a three‑nil win, I thought the game was ours to take, but we got a bit scruffy with possession and gave the ball away cheaply at times. It’s not a lack of effort; the lads have given us a lot over the last three games.” Burnley’s caretaker boss Nicky Hayen echoed a similar sentiment, noting the bright spots in the first half: “We played a really good first half, with a great goal.
We found our solutions, a lot of movement, a lot of courage. I’m really satisfied with the first half, but of course the match lasts 95 minutes. The second half was decent but not as good as the first. We conceded a goal and it became more open.
They could score a second, we could score a second, so you could win this game, you could lose this game, and a point is a fair result.” Both managers highlighted the need for consistency and resilience as the season progresses. For Wrexham, the draw offers a glimmer of hope that their early‑season form can be revived, while Burnley must address their ongoing struggles to climb out of the relegation zone. The match also provided a platform for new signings to integrate, with Ekomie’s goal underscoring his growing importance, and O’Hare’s debut hinting at future contributions.
Overall, the fixture delivered a tightly contested encounter that, despite the lack of a decisive result, showcased moments of quality, tactical adjustments, and the determination of two clubs fighting to improve their respective campaigns. The draw leaves both sides with work to do, but also a reminder that in the Championship, every point can prove pivotal as the season unfolds.