Wrexham Have Their Noses In Front With Notts County Battle
Harry Corish - Sportin Journalist
In what was widely billed as the biggest game in the history of non-League football, the Dragons overcame Notts County, 3-2, in a thrilling contest on Bank Holiday Monday – one dramatic enough to be turned into a mini-series, which is exactly where it will end up.
Wrexham’s Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were both at The Racecourse Ground to see their club move three points clear of County at the top of the National League.
They now need only seven points from their last four games to clinch the title and return to the Football League next season after a 15-year absence.
Should they slip up, then Wrexham would need to go through another play-off match, a situation which American actor and filmmaker Reynolds finds bizarre.
“It’s just insane to me in this league that only one goes up automatically,” Reynolds told BT Sport.
“If it were different – and I think it should be – both of these clubs would be celebrating together right now because what they’ve done is not only created drama unlike anything you’d ever see in a movie, but something that I think people will be talking about for ages.
“The fact that this much attention has come upon the National League in this way is incredibly special and immensely worthy of the talents of not only Wrexham, but Notts County as well.”
While Wrexham appear to be going up, it was a mixed weekend for Cardiff City, who have a lot of work to do to avoid going down.
The Bluebirds won 3-1 at Blackpool on Good Friday, but then lost, 1-0, at home to Sunderland on Monday – a setback which has put them right back in relegation danger as other results over the holiday weekend did not go in their favour.
Dennis Cirkin scored the goal that has left Cardiff just one point above the relegation zone. Manager Sabri Lamouchi’s team do have a game in hand, but four of their six remaining matches are away from home.
Lamouchi took two of his players off after only 36 minutes – Jaden Philogene and Sheyi Ojo – and revealed afterwards his only regret was that he didn’t hook them earlier!
It all looks increasingly likely that the crucial match for Cardiff will be their penultimate game at home to Huddersfield on April 30 and a worrying old flame date with their former manager Neil Warnock.
Swansea City continued their recent revival by winning 2-0 at Wigan on Monday, three days after they had drawn against Coventry City.
Two Joel Piroe goals did the trick against the Latics and the Swans have now taken 10 points from the last available 12.
It’s too late for any push for the play-offs, but it is giving head coach Russell Martin reasons to stick around next season after his troubles earlier in the campaign.
In League Two, Newport County had a mixed weekend – winning 3-0 at home to Northampton on Friday, but then folding to a 4-0 defeat at Stockport County on Monday.
The results dropped County one place to 18th in the table, but they should have enough in the bag to avoid getting dragged into the relegation scrap beneath them.