Wrexham Loses to Birmingham: Reynolds and McElhenney Disappointed
The fairytale run of Wrexham AFC came to a crashing halt on Saturday as they suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat at the hands of Birmingham City in a pre-season friendly at the Racecourse Ground.
The game, which was played in front of a packed house, saw Wrexham take the lead early on thanks to a goal from Paul Mullin. However, Birmingham fought back and eventually secured victory with goals from Lukas Jutkiewicz and Tahith Chong.
The disappointment was evident on the faces of Wrexham co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who were both present at the game. The Hollywood stars have been instrumental in Wrexham's resurgence, but they will undoubtedly be hoping for a better performance in their next pre-season game.
A Positive Start for Wrexham
Despite the eventual defeat, Wrexham started the game brightly and looked dangerous going forward. Mullin's goal, which came in the 12th minute, was a well-taken finish after a fine pass from Elliot Lee.
The Red Dragons continued to create chances in the first half, but they were unable to extend their lead. Birmingham, however, grew into the game and began to exert more pressure on Wrexham's defense.
Birmingham Fight Back
The visitors finally found an equalizer in the 34th minute when Jutkiewicz headed home a cross from Krystian Bielik. The goal seemed to deflate Wrexham, who struggled to regain their momentum.
Birmingham continued to press for a winner and they were rewarded in the 76th minute when Chong slotted home a loose ball in the box. The goal effectively ended Wrexham's hopes of securing a draw.
Key Takeaways
While the result was disappointing, there were some positives for Wrexham to take from the game. The performance of Mullin, who scored his second goal of pre-season, will have given the Wrexham faithful plenty of encouragement.
However, the team's defensive frailties were again exposed. The two goals conceded by Birmingham will be a concern for manager Phil Parkinson, who will be hoping to tighten up his defense before the start of the new League Two season.
What's Next for Wrexham?
Wrexham will now look to bounce back from this defeat when they face Chesterfield in their next pre-season game on Tuesday. Reynolds and McElhenney will be expecting a more convincing performance from their team, as they look to build towards a successful season.
With the new season just around the corner, the pressure will be on Wrexham to deliver on their promise and challenge for promotion to League One.
