Ryan Reynolds, Wrexham’s co-owner, has written an emotional statement reflecting on his team’s performance against Chelsea in the FA Cup fifth round.
On Saturday evening, the Championship outfit gave it their best against Liam Rosenior’s side, but were eventually defeated 4-2 in extra time.
Sam Smith started the scoring, and after an unlucky Arthur Okonkwo own goal, Callum Doyle scored a brilliant finish to restore Wrexham’s lead.
Josh Acheampong equalised four minutes later, as Wrexham’s fortunes deteriorated just before the end of normal time. Following a VAR intervention, George Dobson was found to have hacked Alejandro Garnacho down, forcing them to play another 30 minutes with ten men.
Chelsea capitalised, taking the lead early in the second half thanks to a clever Garnacho shot. You’d think that was the end of the drama, but there was another nasty twist to the story.
Wrexham believed they had equalised when Lewis Brunt converted Kieffer Moore’s header, but VAR judged the defender offside.
Joao Pedro scored Chelsea’s fourth goal with the final kick of the game, securing a hard-fought win and officially breaking Welsh hearts.
Reynolds and close friend Rob Mac, who took over the club in November 2020, attended the glamorous event at the Racecourse Ground.
They have overseen Wrexham’s rise through the English football pyramid, bringing them to the brink of Premier League promotion from the National League in less than five years.
Reynolds reflected on how far they’d come working full-time, tweeting on what happened this week in 2023.
He told X that three years ago this week, we drew with Maidenhead United. Today, we forced Chelsea into overtime. “I am so proud of Wrexham’s performance today.”
Wrexham were in the National League at the time, aiming for promotion to League Two. For those who are curious, the game ended 2-2, with Red Dragons icon Paul Mullin scoring. He scored two goals on his way to being named Player of the Season.
It’s a credit to Reynolds and Mac’s efforts, as they back manager Phil Parkinson to achieve the unfathomable and secure a fourth successive promotion.
Wrexham are now sixth in the Championship and will face fifth-placed Hull City on Tuesday evening.
xz
