Wrexham's Kieffer Moore 'delighted' with brace against former club Sheffield United as Red Dragons pick up much-needed win in Championship

The afternoon initially appeared to be slipping away from Wrexham. Despite bright spells in possession, defensive lapses proved costly as the Blades ruthlessly exploited space inside the box. Patrick Bamford struck twice with the composure of a seasoned striker, while Callum O’Hare added a third with a well-timed header, leaving the home side 3-2 down before the interval. The goals briefly hushed the Racecourse Ground and exposed some familiar weaknesses. Wrexham’s build-up play carried plenty of promise, but their inability to defend in big moments threatened to undo them once again, with Boxing Day shaping up to be another frustrating chapter in a difficult run of results.

What followed after half-time, however, was a display of belief and aggression that transformed the contest. Ryan Longman’s goal seven minutes after resumption injected fresh energy into the stands and belief into the players. Moore then completed his personal redemption story with a late strike that put Wrexham ahead, his celebration laced with both relief and joy. Josh Windass added the finishing touch from the penalty spot, sealing a three-goal second-half surge that left United stunned and the Stok Cae Ras in rapture.

Moore, who endured a difficult relationship with sections of the United support, the moment carried extra edge.

"You get criticism, you get praise. You need to keep on an even keel. You can't take it too harshly, and you can't take the praise too big," Moore said. "But I'm delighted for myself. [They can] keep saying what they can say, and I can just keep producing on the pitch."

Asked whether the noise from his former club’s fans had fuelled him, he replied simply: “Yes, absolutely.”

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The victory was Wrexham’s first in six league matches and lifted them to 13th in the table, easing pressure on manager Phil Parkinson during a demanding festive period. Parkinson acknowledged that his side had been vulnerable early on but praised their response when it mattered most.

"I think we played well in the first half but those three moments we could do better with, albeit Bamford is a really good player," Parkinson said.

"We said to the lads at half-time we had to defend our box better, we were up against a high-calibre team. But we felt that if we carried on playing in the way we had done that chances would come to us and we've taken them."

Parkinson revealed that the days leading up to the match had been subdued on the training ground, with disappointment channelled into focus rather than noise. Injuries and suspensions had added to the strain, yet the response spoke volumes about the group’s mentality.

"There was accountability," he explained. "When you lose a game, it’s about not getting too down, but equally having a bit of accountability as well. And I felt we did that tonight. It was a quiet training ground first few days when we came back in as you'd expect, but all you can do is football is pull together. 

"And I think we've done that in a bit of adversity, not just with the result, with the injuries we've had and Jimmy gets suspended, O'Brien. We've had, you know, bits of bad luck along the way. But this club's all about pulling together in in those moments, and and we've done that tonight, not just the players and the staff, but the supporters as well."

There is little opportunity to bask in the glow of such a dramatic win. Wrexham face a swift turnaround with a Championship fixture against Preston on 29 December, and Parkinson confirmed recovery will dominate the coming days, given the physical toll of the festive schedule. Beyond that lies an enticing FA Cup third-round meeting with Nottingham Forest. It is a tie that offers more than romance, as it presents a measuring stick for a club daring to believe its ambitions stretch beyond the English second tier.