Wrexham capitalizes on opportunity with thrilling victory to secure playoff position.

Wrexham’s pursuit of a fourth consecutive promotion and a spot in the Premier League is gaining momentum.

A thrilling 3-2 victory at Queens Park Rangers — featuring two goals in stoppage time — propelled Wrexham, the Welsh club co-owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, into sixth position in the second-tier Championship on Saturday.

The top two teams will achieve automatic promotion, while those finishing from third to sixth will qualify for the playoffs at the end of the season for one additional promotion opportunity.

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This marks the first occasion this season that Wrexham has concluded a round within the playoff spots.

Steve Cook’s late goal seemed to have secured the victory for the hosts, but after Rangers defender Amadou Mbengue received a red card in stoppage time, the visitors struck twice within a minute.

Josh Windass leveled the score, and fellow substitute Ollie Rathbone delivered a stunning winner in the dying moments with a powerful right-footed shot from 30 yards.

“You could see how quickly we retrieved the ball and responded [after the late equalizer],” Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson stated.

“We sensed an opportunity. Sometimes you can feel that as a team. Their player was sent off; I’m not sure if that influenced it, but it felt like we were the team most likely to clinch the win.”

Wrexham has completed 29 of their 46 matches in their inaugural second-tier season since the 1980s, following an unprecedented three consecutive promotions.

Their ascent through the English football hierarchy, supported by the financial backing from Reynolds and McElhenney since acquiring the club in 2020 and chronicled in the Emmy-winning “Welcome to Wrexham” series, commenced in 2022 with promotion from the non-league fifth tier.

Windass was among the 13 players who joined the club during an estimated spending spree of around $40 million in the summer transfer window, during which Wrexham consistently broke their transfer record.

The winning goal marked Rathbone’s fifth in his last 10 appearances. Parkinson acknowledged the contributions of the two substitutes.

“Josh displayed remarkable technique, and what can I say about Ollie — his goals-per-minute ratio is likely the best in the league,” Parkinson remarked.

“The key for us was that we had players on the bench who might have anticipated playing. I felt the professionalism of the group secured us the victory.

“Players often feel discontent when they are not selected, but there was a unity within the group that was evident, especially with Josh and Ollie.

“It was challenging out there. It’s probably the worst pitch in the league. To come away with three points is a significant advantage for us.”

Information from The Associated Press and PA was utilized in this report.