Cards hit back to stun Dragons
WREXHAM boss Phil Parkinson says his side must learn to take the rough with the smooth after Woking staged a remarkable second-half comeback to leave their title hopes hanging by the thinnest of threads.
The stage was set for Parkinson’s Dragons to blow the title race apart after leaders Stockport County lost at Yeovil, but Darren Sarll’s Cards hadn’t read the script and spoilt the party in front of the BT cameras.
Leading through a Tyreke Johnson own goal, Parkinson could only look on helplessly after Max Kretzschmar levelled the scores from the penalty spot and Jamar Loza clinched a winner four minutes from time.
“It’s a disappointing day for us, but we take the ups and downs together and move on,” the Red Dragons boss said.
Wrexham – unbeaten in 15 games before arriving at the Laithwaite Community Stadium – were the better side in the first half with David Jones’s shot cannoning off the crossbar before they took the lead a minute before the break when the unfortunate Johnson headed Liam McAlinden’s cross from the left past Craig Ross.
After the break, a Jordan Davies free-kick was tipped superbly over the bar by Ross, before the young midfielder was judged to have handled in the box just past the hour, giving Kretzschmar the chance to score his 13th goal of the season.
That he did, sending Christian Dibble the wrong way and finding the bottom lefthand corner.
The Cards haven’t drawn at home since March 2021 – a record which continues thanks to substitute Jermaine Anderson, who drove forward and laid off to Loza, who finished superbly past Dibble at the near post.
A toothless second half left prolific strike duo of Paul Mullin and Woking academy product Ollie Palmer stifled throughout by the outstanding Joe McNerney and Moussa Diarra.
It was, in fact, Woking who had the best chance to add another goal in stoppage time with Rohan Ince’s shot being cleared off the line but the Cards were not left to rue the missed opportunity, as they held out for their first victory over Wrexham since 2016. Parkinson believes his side paid the price for failing to kill the game off.
“I was pleased with the first-half,” he said. “We started strong and solid and deserved to go ahead. We were in control of the game. If we’d got the second that would have settled it, but I don’t think the referee had a consistent game.
“After the penalty, we didn’t show enough calmness and control of the game to go on and win it. It hurts, it always hurts to lose but we’re going to regroup, stay calm and go again on Tuesday night against Weymouth.” ★★★★★