Copyright walesonline
As Wrexham fans filtered out onto the streets after their team's shock 3-2 victory over Championship leaders Coventry on Friday night, there was an electric feeling in the air. Jubilant chants of hat-trick hero Kieffer Moore 's name rang out on the streets surrounding the Racecourse Ground to the tune of "Give It Up" by KC and the Sunshine Band. The sight of costumed Halloween revellers in the city centre looking bewildered by the gleeful horde of Wrexham supporters approaching them only added to the surreal scenes. Of course, this is a club that has enjoyed plenty of memorable moments since being bought by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac in February 2021. The Red Dragons have achieved three consecutive promotions from the National League to the second tier under manager Phil Parkinson, while becoming a global name via the Welcome to Wrexham documentary. However, the spark fans have become so accustomed to was sadly lacking in the days leading up to the Coventry fixture and the weeks beforehand. Expectation levels were high heading into the new season, despite Wrexham not having played at this level since the early 1980s. Much of that can be attributed to the newfound self-confidence instilled in locals by the two co-owners. A club record £33million outlay on transfers over the summer, which saw Wrexham's net spend exceed that of Barcelona and AC Milan, did little to temper the anticipation. But anyone with even the slightest knowledge of the Championship will tell you it's a tough league to compete in, and Parkinson came under pressure early in the campaign after a disappointing run of results. While Wrexham director Shaun Harvey quickly quashed rumours that his job was at risk , it was hard to silence the rumblings of discontent in some quarters. From their opening 12 league fixtures, the North Wales outfit managed just three wins after suffering four defeats and drawing on five occasions, leaving them 16th in the table before they faced Frank Lampard 's Coventry. The Sky Blues were unbeaten and in excellent form heading into the clash after registering six straight wins. By contrast, the mood in the Wrexham camp suffered a severe dent in midweek after they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup after losing 2-1 at home to Cardiff City in the fourth round of the competition . Parkinson made seven changes for that tie from the starting XI which secured a creditable 1-1 draw away at second-placed Middlesbrough last weekend. In truth, Wrexham barely laid a glove on their League One opponents as Rubin Colwill shone for the Bluebirds. The home side were booed off the pitch after the final whistle for a notable lack of fight as Parkinson was accused of failing to take the match seriously, with Welsh pride and a place in the quarter-finals at stake. The former Sunderland and Bolton boss defended his decision by highlighting Wrexham's upcoming busy schedule. Fast forward to Friday evening and Parkinson put out a stronger team to face Coventry, with the likes of Moore and fellow forward Josh Windass reinstated. The home side started the game on the front foot as Lewis O'Brien failed to capitalise on a golden opportunity when put through on goal. There was a sense of deja vu as Wrexham were punished for failing to take their chances in the 22nd minute when Ephron Mason-Clark gave the away team the lead. But the raucous Racecourse crowd stayed firmly behind the players as they showed a renewed vigour to win back the ball at the top of the pitch. If it was loud before, the stadium was definitely rocking when Wales international Moore bagged a perfect hat-trick inside the space of 23 minutes in the second half. Even a late Tatsuhiro Sakamoto effort, which offered the visitors hope, couldn't keep the Wrexham fans quiet, and a huge roar erupted as the final whistle blew. Such an outpouring of joy hasn't been witnessed since April 2023 when the Red Dragons overcame rivals Notts County by the same scoreline to effectively seal the National League title. Parkinson's side also went into that game off the back of a disappointing loss at Halifax in front of thousands of travelling supporters. Ex- Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster was the hero against Notts County as a late penalty save from Cedwyn Scott denied Wrexham's opponents a share of the spoils. Speaking afterwards, Foster said: "If you could bottle that single moment and try and relive that feeling again, it would be up there as one of the best feelings I have had in football." Wrexham's manager also spoke of the importance of harnessing the feel-good factor after sealing an unlikely victory over Coventry. The return of the team's never-say-die attitude, along with the fervent Racecourse atmosphere, was certainly cause for celebration. Parkinson said: "It's definitely a statement performance and win for us, not a statement to anyone else, but for ourselves. I said after the Middlesbrough game that the game should give us even more belief because it's been growing, we've had some terrific performances. But tonight, I'm very pleased against an excellent side." Coventry boss Lampard also admitted the crowd played their part in Wrexham's win, saying: "It's a difficult match and we knew that before with the way that they play and the atmosphere and the environment here. I smelt it at half time. We were 1-0 up but I could smell it myself and we just dropped a bit." The result lifted Wrexham up to 11th in the table before Saturday's matches were played. It's still worth fans curbing their enthusiasm slightly as the Championship is a difficult league where there is often only a cigarette paper between the top and bottom. However, if Parkinson and his players can recapture the mentality that led them into the division in the long run, there's no reason why they can't have yet another season to remember. Beating Coventry wasn't just a big result - it was a statement that reminded everyone who Wrexham are. To take down the league leaders shows that this team is growing into something more ambitious after a stuttering start. But as Foster said, results like that only matter if that energy is carried forward. Wrexham must savour the moment, stand together and keep pushing.
