Wrexham 2-3 Stevenage: Phil Parkinson's side beaten at home for first time this season to lose ground in promotion race
Report and free-match highlights from the Sky Bet League One match between Wrexham and Stevenage at the Racecourse Ground on Tuesday night | Phil Parkinson's side lose at home for first time this season as they lose ground on top two.
Tuesday 28 January 2025 23:01, UK
A trio of Stevenage goalscorers secured a 3-2 away win over Wrexham to end the Red Dragons' 22-home game unbeaten run.
The visitors took an early lead when Arthur Okonkwo parried away Jordan Roberts' shot, and Dan Kemp picked up the rebounded ball and converted from close range.
Jamie Reid found the ball on the edge of the box just before the 20th minute and converted with a powerful finish.
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Kemp tried his luck from distance just past the half-hour mark, but his effort whistled over the bar.
A corner ball fell to Ollie Rathbone in the area in the 55th minute. He struck, but his deflected effort found Paul Mullin at the back post, who headed in.
Stevenage got a third with 20 minutes remaining when Kemp laid off to Jake Young, who tucked away from close range.
Elliot Lee sent a late free-kick into the box and Max Cleworth rose highest in the box to meet it and head in, but Stevenage held on for all three points.
The managers
Wrexham's Phil Parkinson:
"Those two goals in the first half were just too easy. We have to get back to doing the very basics on the football pitch well.
"You still give yourself a platform by fighting and competing all over the pitch, by blocking shots, and we were way off it out there tonight.
"If you look at the third goal, we have lost challenges, and we have not shown enough desire in the final moment to block the shot.
"We will use the defeat as motivation. I will look closely at myself and take full responsibility for that. I pride myself and my coaching staff on preparing teams to play well, and the majority of the time, we have done that and competed and been strong.
"Tonight we were too loose out of possession and obviously weren't good enough in possession first half.
"When you are not playing well as a team, you have to stand strong as a team and win headers and there wasn't enough fight barring two or three players out there tonight."
Stevenage's Alex Revell:
"It was a fantastic performance, to come here and beat this team and do the double over them, a team which is in the top bracket.
"Every game, confidence and belief grows. I thought first half, in my opinion, was the best I have seen a Stevenage team play in a very long time.
"To a man, everyone worked incredibly hard tonight for the win, and I can't single out anyone really because of the whole team's performance.
"This is what happens when you believe in what you are doing and believe in the team; we just have to keep working now.
"We saw some of the fruits of our labour on Saturday at times and I thought first half today we really saw that.
"We should have been out of sight at half-time, but you know what's coming with the players that they got; you know this Wrexham team is strong, so it's a magnificent win."
