Wrexham’s bid to qualify for the EFL Championship playoffs ended in heartbreak on Saturday as a 2–2 draw with Middlesbrough left them seventh in the final standings.
Phil Parkinson’s side were in sixth, the final playoff spot, heading into the day, but knew they faced an uphill battle against a Middlesbrough side still hoping to book an automatic promotion spot. The fine margins meant any slip-up could be punished by both Hull City and Derby County.
Middlesbrough took the lead after just four minutes, shortly before Derby took the lead against Sheffield United, dumping Wrexham out of the playoff spots and setting the tone for what would end up being a frantic scramble for sixth.
Wrexham managed to tie things up through Josh Windass after 28 minutes and even looked set to take a lead into half-time thanks to Sam Smith’s powerful header four minutes before the interval, only for David Strelec to tie things up just two minutes later.
Derby ended up tumbling out of the final playoff spot, slumping to a 2–1 defeat to Sheffield United, but it was Hull who ended up proving to be Wrexham’s nemeses as they moved into a 2–1 lead over Norwich City with 20 minutes remaining.
Parkinson responded by setting his side up with two strikers, introducing the towering Kieffer Moore for the finale but, despite their best efforts, there would be no breaking through the Middlesbrough back line.
Nervous fans watched on in hope of a slip-up from Hull, but the Tigers held their nerve and saw out a huge win over Norwich that saw them claim the fourth and final playoff spot.
Hull now join Millwall, Southampton and Middlesbrough in a four-way shoot-out for a spot in the Premier League, with the winner joining champions Coventry City and second-placed Ipswich Town in England’s top flight next season.
As for Wrexham, attention now turns to preparing for another season in the Championship, with Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac’s dream of a spot in the Premier League forced to be put on hold for at least one more campaign.
Final Championship Standings
| Position | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Coventry City | 95 |
| 2. | Ipswich Town | 84 |
| 3. | Millwall | 83 |
| 4. | Southampton | 80 |
| 5. | Middlesbrough | 80 |
| 6. | Hull City | 73 |
| 7. | Wrexham | 71 |
| 8. | Derby County | 69 |
| 9. | Norwich City | 65 |
| 10. | Birmingham City | 64 |
| 11. | Swansea City | 64 |
| 12. | Bristol City | 62 |
| 13. | Sheffield United | 60 |
| 14. | Preston North End | 60 |
| 15. | Queens Park Rangers | 58 |
| 16. | Watford | 57 |
| 17. | Stoke City | 55 |
| 18. | Portsmouth | 55 |
| 19. | Charlton Athletic | 53 |
| 20. | Blackburn Rovers | 52 |
| 21. | West Bromwich Albion | 51 |
| 22. | Oxford United | 47 |
| 23. | Leicester City | 46 |
| 24. | Sheffield Wednesday | 0 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Wrexham’s Promotion Dreams End in Heartbreak on Chaotic Final Day.
