Hollywood co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney were in the stands at Racecourse Ground to watch Wrexham‘s FA Cup run come to an end against Chelsea, as the Blues ended what had been a memorable campaign for the Red Dragons. In the aftermath, Reynolds took to social media to send an uplifting message to his team and its fans.
While also chasing promotion to the Premier League, Wrexham had put together an impressive FA Cup run, reaching the fifth round for the first time in 29 years after knocking out top-flight side Nottingham Forest and Ipswich Town. Tuesday’s clash with Chelsea, the reigning Club World Cup champions, represented arguably the biggest test the club has faced since Reynolds and McElhenney took over, with a quarterfinal berth up for grabs.
Wrexham led twice at Racecourse Ground, but Chelsea fought back to level it at 2-2, and a red card shown to George Dobson in the 90th-plus third minute proved to be the turning point. In extra time, the Premier League side took advantage of the numerical superiority to go ahead 3-2, and after a Wrexham equalizer was chalked off by VAR, Chelsea sealed the tie at 4-2.
Despite the defeat, Reynolds turned to his X account to celebrate the progress his club has made “Three years ago this week, we battled Maidenhead United to a draw. Today we pushed Chelsea to extra time. So incredibly proud of Wrexham’s performance today.“
Ryan Reynolds’ message after Chelsea game.
The post referenced a match played on March 4, 2023, when Wrexham traveled to York Road, a stadium with a capacity of just 4,500, to face Maidenhead United in the National League, ending in a 2-2 draw while still outside the English Football League. Fast-forward to today, and the Red Dragons are competing toe-to-toe with some of the best clubs in world soccer.
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A first look at VAR
Having already eliminated Forest and Ipswich Town along the way, Wrexham encountered VAR for the first time in this cup run, as the technology is introduced from the fifth round onwards. Two key interventions tilted the tie against the Red Dragons: Dobson’s yellow card was upgraded to a red following a VAR review, and a Lewis Brunt goal that would have leveled the match at 3-3 was disallowed for a marginal offside call on his left foot.
In his post-match press conference, Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson defended his side’s performance. “In the second half I think we were the better team and I was confident we were going to win,” he said, before turning to the red card to Dobson: “The referee gave a yellow. I’m not sure of the rules, it’s the first time we’ve had VAR and it has to be clear and obvious to overturn it. I think the referee could have just kept it at a yellow.“
Referee Peter Bankes shows a red card to George Dobson of Wrexham.
Parkinson also reflected on the opportunities that arose in extra time despite being a man down. “I said at the break in extra time there are still going to be chances for us. Unfortunately we didn’t take one but we have to take a lot of heart from that performance. It’s been a great cup run. Tonight was a great spectacle and we were competitive against a very good side. We will take a lot of positives from it,” he concluded.
What’s next for Wrexham?
With the FA Cup behind them, Wrexham can now channel all of their energy into the EFL Championship and the promotion push they have been building toward all season. The Red Dragons currently sit sixth in the table with 57 points from 35 games, firmly inside the playoff places and riding a strong run of nine wins, two draws and two defeats from their last 13 matches.
Next up is a pivotal six-pointer at home against Hull City on Tuesday, March 10 at Racecourse Ground. The Tigers are fifth with 60 points from 36 games, one spot and three points ahead of Wrexham, but with the Red Dragons holding a superior goal difference, a home win would be enough to leapfrog Hull and move them into the top five.
