Wrexham miss out on Championship playoffs: Reynolds club 'proud' despite final day 'robbery'

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Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

Wrexham's run of successive promotions came to an end on Saturday after they mustered only a 2-2 draw with Middlesbrough on the final day of the regular Championship season.

Since Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac acquired the Welsh club in late 2020, Wrexham have been on a remarkable upward trajectory. They have risen from the fifth division all the way to the second-tier Championship, becoming the first club in professional English football to achieve three consecutive promotions.

The promised land of the Premier League was within reach heading into the season, but legendary coach Phil Parkinson and his players endured a difficult start to the campaign. Promotion seemed a pipedream when the Reds were languishing 18th in October.

The lack of results saw Parkinson come under growing scrutiny, but the experienced coach managed to steady the ship and turn things around. Four successive wins around the turn of the year saw Wrexham surge up the table and establish themselves near the playoff spots.

Though overall results improved, Wrexham were unable to prevent some damaging losses and thus failed to secure a place in the playoffs. On the final day of the regular Championship season, the Dragons were one of three teams still battling for the final postseason spot.

Wrexham fail to make the playoffs

Wrexham were level on points with Hull City (but ahead on goal difference), while Derby County were just a point behind the two. Unfortunately, they were facing a Middlesbrough team that still had all to play for on the final day.

If results had gone Boro's way and they had defeated Wrexham, they would have finished second and secured automatic promotion. In the end, it didn't matter because Ipswich, who were two points ahead, easily dispatched QPR to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Still, Boro played to win against Wrexham because they obviously did not know exactly what was happening elsewhere, as all the games were taking place simultaneously. The points would ultimately be shared in a back-and-forth affair, with the game ending 2-2.

For a while, it seemed that this scoreline would be enough to get Wrexham over the line (literally). Hull City were drawing 1-1 with Norwich City for almost 40 minutes. That was until Oli McBurnie scored a controversial goal that would prove to be the winner for the Tigers.

The officials missed what appeared to be a clear offside position from the Scotland striker. Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison and former Premier League referee Mike Dean concurred that the goal should not have stood.

Additionally, Norwich were denied a late penalty, which only added insult to injury and caused a stir on social media, with fans saying that the Canaries and, by extension, Wrexham were "robbed."

Hull could not have cared less as they confirmed their spot in the playoffs at the expense of the Dragons. For the first time in the Reynolds-McElhenney era, Wrexham have suffered a setback.

Nevertheless, it was an impressive season from the Hollywood club. The Championship is widely regarded as the toughest second division in Europe, so the fact that they managed to overcome their early struggles is commendable.

Indeed, seventh place is the club's highest-ever finish in the second division and a very solid foundation to build on in the coming seasons. After the Boro draw, Wrexham posted the following message on their social media channels:

"A fantastic season to be proud of. Our highest ever finish in the second tier and gave it everything until the final kick. Thank you for your unwavering support throughout the season."

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