Eoghan seals the Parky derby
RED-HOT Wrexham continued their title chase with a battling victory at mid-table Altrincham in the ‘Phil Parkinson derby’, played in front of the largest league crowd at The J.Davidson since 1968.
New signing Eoghan O’Connell struck five minutes from time as the Dragons made it seven wins in a row, and 16 unbeaten in the league, to keep the pressure on Notts County at the top.
“That’s a massive three points for us.” said Wrexham boss Parkinson. “We talk a lot about never giving in, and battling to the end, and that just shows the character of the lads.
“It was never gonna be easy playing in-between two big cup games, but the lads have done well to come back again.”
“You can’t be at your best every week. First half we were off it, and didn’t do the basics right, but second half we were loads better. And it’s great for Eoghan, it’s important that new signings get off to a good start.”
The hosts dominated the first half with Jordan Hulme heading just over before his chipped effort struck the bar later in the half.
The momentum swung after the break, however, as the visitors looked a different side. Front pair Ollie Palmer and Paul Mullin linked up well with the latter curling an effort just past the post.
Mullin then played in Luke Young on the edge of the area on 55 minutes, but the Reds captain’s effort was deflected over.
But the visitors’ pressure finally paid off just after the hour when Elliott Lee whipped over a superb cross from the left and Palmer took a touch to create the space on the edge of the six-yard-box, before finishing well into the bottom left corner.
Wrexham were on top, but against the run of play, the hosts struck level on 81 minutes. A loose ball wide on the right spilled to Miles Welch-Hayes on the corner of the box and the Harrogate loanee found the bottom left corner from 20 yards.
However, ecstasy turned to agony within four minutes for Alty when Wrexha won a corner at the other end, Young’s centre prompted a goalmouth scramble and, after the ball came off the bar, O’Connell was on hand to turn the ball over the line to send the 1,600 travelling Wrexham fans behind the goal into delirium.
Altrincham assistant Neil Sorvel was still able to see the positives: “We were the better team in the first half, and minimised their threat. But we fell off a little bit in the second half, and at some point they’ll crack you. It was a great strike to equalise, but they’ve got form with late wins.
“That’s three defeats in a row, but I thought our new lads did well, and our new shape with the two makeshift number tens worked well too.”