'Very strange goal' - Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo defended by manager Phil Parkinson after howler as Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac's side gift derby defeat to Swansea

The match marked the first league meeting between the two Welsh rivals for 22 years and, fittingly, it delivered drama and a controversial finale. The hosts showed early intent at the Swansea.com Stadium, carving out an opening when Zan Vipotnik wriggled free on the edge of the area, his effort blocked at the last moment. Wrexham weathered that early pressure and soon imposed themselves, looking to exploit space down the flanks. 

The breakthrough arrived after 14 minutes. George Dobson’s measured diagonal pass released Ryan Longman, whose low, left-footed cross caused chaos in the home defence. Under pressure, Cameron Burgess inadvertently diverted the ball into his own net, handing Wrexham the lead and silencing the home crowd. Swansea responded with urgency, appealing in vain for a penalty when Ronald Pereira went down under a challenge from Callum Doyle. Burgess then had a chance to make amends, stabbing over from close range as the hosts searched for an equaliser before the break.

The second half followed a familiar pattern, with Swansea pushing higher and Wrexham gradually retreating. Captain Ben Cabango came close to connecting with a teasing delivery, only for Longman to intervene with a vital clearance. Moments later, Burgess again escaped punishment after gifting possession to Ben Sheaf, but Josh Windass failed to capitalise, firing off target instead of picking out a team-mate. 

As possession tilted heavily in Swansea’s favour, the warning signs grew for Wrexham. Midfielder Marko Stamenic bent a curling effort narrowly wide, and the home side’s persistence was eventually rewarded. Vipotnik produced a moment of quality inside the box, spinning his marker and firing goalwards. The ball deflected off Dominic Hyam and looped beyond Okonkwo to restore parity. With the contest seemingly drifting towards a draw, the decisive bit of action cast Okonkwo in a poor light. A cross into the Wrexham area should have been routine, but Okonkwo failed to gather cleanly. A looping header from Cabango then spilled from the goalkeeper’s grasp, dropping kindly for Adam Idah, who reacted quickest to tap into an unguarded net from close range. The sequence of errors was a stark contrast to Okonkwo’s usual reliability, particularly during the absence of first-choice keeper Danny Ward. For Wrexham, it was a gut-punch ending to a night that had promised much more.

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Parkinson was quick to shield his goalkeeper from criticism, stressing Okonkwo’s importance to the club over several seasons.

"Obviously, the goal which is decided the game is a tough one for us to take… a very strange goal to concede," said Parkinson. "But Arthur's been outstanding for us, not just this season, in previous seasons, you know, he's been a colossus of a goalkeeper and it's a high-profile mistake. But he'll get every bit of support from us because he's won us a lot of points over the last few years. He's been brilliant, he's been excellent and of course when you make a mistake like that it's going to be highlighted. But he's a tough character and he'll get great support from his team-mates and the staff and everybody connected at the club."

The defeat meant Wrexham missed the chance to close ground on the Championship play-off places and remain 15th in the table, now winless in five league outings. The mood in the away dressing room was understandably subdued, with Okonkwo and his team-mates left to reflect on a painful conclusion. For Swansea, the result represented a significant lift. Vítor Matos’ side claimed a third win in five games, climbing to 17th and moving within two points of Wrexham. Beyond the league positions, the victory carried symbolic weight, delivering derby bragging rights in a fixture that had been absent from the calendar for more than two decades.