Wrexham put together an improbable comeback on Saturday afternoon to defeat Queens Park Rangers 3–2 at Loftus Road.
The Red Dragons came into the fixture desperately needing a win after dropping points in their last two matches. Yet they got off to a nightmare start when Harvey Vale sent an excellent volley into the back of the net just six minutes into the match.
Wrexham battled back thanks to a thunderous strike from Callum Doyle just before the hour-mark. The next goal belonged to QPR defender Steve Cook, though, who looked to head home the match-winner in the 80th minute.
The game turned on its head, though, when Amadou Mbengue saw red in the dying stages. Phil Parkinson’s men threw everything at their undermanned opponents in stoppage time, and Josh Windass and Ollie Rathbone took turns playing hero.
The two players scored back-to-back goals within one minute of each other to secure all three points for the visitors, sending Wrexham surging up the Championship standings.
Wrexham Standings After 29 Games in the EFL Championship
| Place | Team | Points | Games Played |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coventry | 55 | 28 |
| 2 | Middlesbrough | 55 | 29 |
| 3 | Ipswich Town | 50 | 28 |
| 4 | Hull City | 50 | 28 |
| 5 | Millwall | 49 | 29 |
| 6 | Wrexham | 44 | 29 |
Wrexham were just minutes away from dropping to 12th in the standings had they suffered a defeat to QPR. Surrendering their place in the top 10 would have been a major blow for the Red Dragons, but they stormed back not only at Loftus Road but up the Championship table.
Parkinson’s men now sit sixth in the standings with 44 points, taking up the final playoff spot. The victory marks the first time all season the oldest club in Wales have cracked the top six, and now they can start dreaming of a place at Wembley Stadium.
Wrexham are still only one point clear of Bristol City, Watford—who have a game in hand—and Preston, which means there is little room for error moving forward. The bad news for the Welsh outfit is they have a string of challenging games on the horizon.
Wrexham’s Next Five Games
Following Saturday’s clash, Wrexham have a full week to rest and prepare for a trip to Hillsborough. Going against last-place Sheffield Wednesday is the perfect opportunity for the Red Dragons to make it back-to-back wins.
The real challenge comes in the first week of February, when Parkinson’s men host Millwall. The visitors have just one loss in their last seven matches and currently sit fifth in the standings, a far cry from their form back in August, when Wrexham secured a 2–0 victory at the Den.
The side co-owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac was then supposed to take on Bristol City, but the game was postponed to make room for an FA Cup bout with Ipswich Town. Wrexham have the advantage of hosting the fourth round fixture, and will like their chances of advancing in the competition after avoiding any Premier League giants still in the tournament.
One week later, Ipswich will return to the STōK Cae Ras with three points on the line. Parkinson will likely deploy his strongest XI against the playoff-contenders, given the team’s next match—just three days later—comes against relegation-battling Portsmouth.
| Opponent | Date | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| Sheffield Wednesday (A) | Jan. 31 | Championship |
| Millwall (H) | Feb. 7 | Championship |
| Ipswich Town (H) | Feb. 13 | FA Cup |
| Ipswich Town (H) | Feb. 21 | Championship |
| Portsmouth (H) | Feb. 24 | Championship |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Wrexham Standings: EFL Championship Table After 29 Games.
