Double blow for Wrexham! Red Dragons suffer play-off setback and pick up two key injuries ahead of Championship run-in

The Welsh side had approached the big fixture with plenty of momentum behind them and a sense that a late surge into the top six remained within reach. Instead, a tight and scrappy contest slipped away from them after the break.

For long spells, the match followed a familiar pattern. Wrexham pressed high, looked to move the ball quickly through midfield and attempted to feed their forwards early, but clear chances were limited. Their best openings came from wide areas and set pieces, yet the final touch was often lacking and the tempo slowed whenever the opposition settled behind the ball.

The turning point arrived midway through the second half. As Wrexham committed bodies forward in search of a breakthrough, they were caught on the break and punished. From that moment, the game became stretched, but the equaliser never truly looked on the cards.

More concerning than the result itself was the physical toll it took. Two key players in Matty James and Liberato Cacace were forced off, one in each half, leaving the bench more stretched than it already was. The first withdrawal disrupted Wrexham’s structure in midfield, while the second deprived them of a focal point in attack during the closing stages.

The club say they will assess both issues in the coming days, but the early indication is that neither problem is minor. With the Championship schedule still as relentless as ever, fixtures are arriving thick and fast. 

The defeat also leaves Wrexham chasing rather than dictating. They remain within the play-off positions but now sit six points off Millwall, with six teams below them all within touching distance should they slip up again.

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Manager Phil Parkinson did not hold back on his frustration at both the performance and the consequences of the afternoon, stressing that the team must respond quickly.

"It is a disappointing day for us," he said. "We controlled long periods but we did not make the right decisions in the final third and at this level you get punished for one mistake."

Parkinson also addressed the injuries, acknowledging their potential impact on the squad depth.

"Losing two players like that changes the game and it changes the next few weeks as well. We will assess them properly, but clearly it is not ideal when we are heading into a really important part of the season.

"We have worked hard to put ourselves in contention and we are still in the fight. The message to the players is simple: stay calm, recover properly and be ready for the next challenge because the table can change very quickly."

There is no time to sulk for the Red Dragons, who take on Ipswich in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Friday. After that, they travel to Bristol City, one of the teams looking to leapfrog Parkinson's men, and could do so with a win.