Wrexham AFC's dream of back-to-back promotions has been thrown into serious doubt after a disastrous result against League Two's bottom-half strugglers. The Hollywood-owned club suffered a devastating 1-0 defeat to Doncaster Rovers, leaving manager Phil Parkinson fuming and their automatic promotion hopes in tatters.
The match, played at the STōK Cae Ras, saw the Red Dragons dominate possession but fail to break down a resilient Doncaster defence. The critical moment came in the 53rd minute when Luke Molyneux's powerful strike secured all three points for the visitors, dealing a massive blow to Wrexham's campaign.
Parkinson's Fury at Missed Opportunity
An visibly angry Phil Parkinson did not mince words after the final whistle. "It's a really poor result for us," he stated. "We had enough situations to score but we didn't take them, and we've been done by one moment."
The defeat was particularly galling given that promotion rivals MK Dons and Barrow both dropped points, presenting Wrexham with a golden opportunity to close the gap that they spectacularly failed to capitalise on.
Automatic Promotion Hanging by a Thread
The mathematics now look increasingly daunting for Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's side. With just three matches remaining in the season, Wrexham sit five points behind third-place MK Dons. Their goal difference also took a significant hit, now standing seven goals worse than their competitors.
This result means Wrexham's fate is largely out of their hands. Even winning their remaining games might not be enough to secure automatic promotion to League One, potentially condemning them to the playoffs.
A Costly Collapse at Critical Moment
The defeat marks Wrexham's third loss in their last five matches, a dramatic collapse in form at the worst possible time. From comfortable automatic promotion contenders, they now face an uphill battle to avoid the lottery of the playoff system.
With Hollywood owners Reynolds and McElhenney watching their investment struggle, the pressure mounts on Parkinson to turn around their fortunes quickly before the season reaches its climax.
