WY COMBE W 0
WREXHAM 1
Smith 78
Phil Parkinson dedicated this win over their promotion-chasing rivals Wycombe Wanderers to the Wrexham supporters after a fan of the club suffered a medical emergency.
The clash in South Buckinghamshire was suspended for more than half an hour after a spectator collapsed in the away stand at Adams Park with 12 minutes remaining.
Both sets of players left the pitch whilst a large section of the travelling fans vacated their seats so the person in question could receive treatment.
It was confirmed that they were taken to a nearby hospital in a stable condition.
Traumatic
The match resumed sometime later, with striker Sam Smith scoring the winner moments after the restart with a well-taken deflected strike.
The win for Wrexham means they have now leapfrogged Wycombe into second place on 69 points.
Wrexham boss Parkinson said: “Both sets of players wanted to continue with the game.
“It was a traumatic moment but we said in the dressing room that even though 78 minutes had been played, there could be another 20 minutes or so.
“We wanted to put in a performance in that 20 minutes for our supporters, and the lads did that.
“We hit a post, and Sam took the goal really well.”
CHALLENGE: Wrexham’s Lewis Brunt and Wycome’s Caleb Taylor battle for the ball
PICTURES: PRiME Media Images
Match action
In what was the first meeting between the two sides at Adams Park since March 2008, Wanderers began the better.
Fred Onyedinma’s header from a Garath McCleary cross was caught by Arthur Okonkwo before the keeper did well to deny a screamer from Dan Udoh.
Wycombe continued to look dangerous as Josh Scowen and Cameron Humphreys pulled the strings, but they struggled to break down a stubborn Wrexham defence.
AIRBORNE: Sam Smith fires in Wrexham’s winner
Second half
The Red Dragons offered very little in the opening period, but began the second half a lot better and hit a post after 55 minutes.
A poor back header from Caleb Taylor allowed Smith in, but he could only poke his effort onto the woodwork.
In the 77th minute, with Wycombe having a corner, cries from the away end were made after the supporter became unwell.
The game eventually restarted with a Wycombe corner and from the set piece, Luke Leahy’s delivery was headed towards goal by Caleb Taylor, but it was brilliantly saved by Okonkwo.
Then, the sucker punch for Wanderers as Wrexham went on the counter-attack, and there was Smith to fire home a deflected volley past keeper Will Norris.
Dodds rues missed chances
Wycombe threw the kitchen sink as James Berry went close, but the day belonged to the Red Dragons, leaving Mike Dodds, Wycombe’s head coach, to rue his side’s missed chances as they lost for the second time in four matches.
He said: “Overall, it was two teams trying to cancel each other out and sadly for us, they got that moment and we didn’t.
“We were very good in the first half and I thought we were the better team, but the second half was too much like basketball for me.
“The out-of-possession stuff I was really pleased with, but it was one of those as it just didn’t land for us.”
Star Man – Eoghan O’Connell (Wrexham)
Teams and ratings:
Wycombe Wanderers: Norris 6, Grimmer 6, Low 6, Taylor 8, Reach 6 (Westergaard 85), Scowen 6, Leahy 7, McCleary 6 (Vokes 85) Humphreys 6, Onyedinma 6 (Berry-McNally 72, 6), Udoh 6. Subs not used: Ravizzoli, Bradley, Bakinson, Kodua.
Wrexham: Okonkwo 6, Cleworth 7, O’Connell 8, Brunt 6, Longman 6, Dobson 6, James 6, Rathbone 6 (Lee 73, 6), McClean 7, Rodriguez 6 (Fletcher 70, 6), Smith 8 (O’Connor 90+1). Subs not used: Howard, Marriott, Mendy, Scarr.
Cardiff City
Omer Riza is proud of his Cardiff City troops
Championship
OLIVER’S SET FOR BIG STEP
