Wrexham 1-3 Queens Park Rangers: Richard Kone and Rumarn Burrell score in QPR win
Report and free match highlights from the Sky Bet Championship match between Wrexham and Queens Park Rangers at the Racecourse Ground on Saturday; Conor Coady own goal, Richard Kone and Rumarn Burrell score as QPR seal away win.
Saturday 13 September 2025 18:46, UK
Wrexham suffered a 3-1 Sky Bet Championship home defeat to QPR in front of Hollywood co-owner Ryan Reynolds.
An unfortunate Conor Coady own goal and Richard Kone's brilliant finish was the least Rangers deserved from their slick first-half approach play.
Wales striker Kieffer Moore, with his sixth in five goals for club and country, did give Wrexham hope midway through the second half with a trademark header.
But Rumarn Burrell scorched away from the Wrexham defence after 75 minutes to put the contest beyond doubt.
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Deadpool actor Reynolds had flown in to watch Wrexham for the second time this season but the Welsh side have still to win at home in the Championship.
Both sides claimed their first victories of the league season before the international break with respective wins over Millwall and Charlton.
QPR's success was particularly noteworthy considering they had conceded seven in their previous contest at Coventry and they took over in the Welsh sunshine after early efforts from James McClean and Ryan Longman.
Jimmy Dunne had the ball in the Wrexham net only to see an offside flag raised and Arthur Okonkwo thwarted Koki Saito for the second time.
With Burrell and Kone linking up superbly, it appeared only a matter of time before Rangers would break the deadlock and they did so after 33 minutes.
Okonkwo blocked Burrell's effort but the ball ricocheted off Coady into his own net.
Wrexham had been one-paced and ineffective in the final third but falling behind did spark a response from Phil Parkinson's side.
Coady's ball over the top was fired wide by Ryan Hardie and the stretching Longman was unable to apply a decisive touch to Moore's cross.
The threat at the other end was not diminished as Burrell went close before Wrexham were opened up through the middle by Harvey Vale and Nicolas Madsen.
Kone took the ball in his stride and lashed it off the underside of the crossbar from 18 yards for his third goal in as many games.
Wrexham raised a head of steam after the break as Rangers goalkeeper Paul Nardi scooped away a Hardie shot that perhaps he should have caught.
Okonkwo had to go full-length to claw away Jonathan Varane's effort from distance as Rangers sought to put the game to bed.
Wrexham broke from the following corner with Hardie scampering half the length of the pitch and Nardi kept out his angled attempt with his legs.
The Red Dragons' improved second half showing was rewarded after 67 minutes when Moore met Lewis O'Brien's in-swinging corner to nod home for the fourth successive Wrexham game.
But Burrell lifted the ball over Okonkwo after beating Coady for pace and substitute Karamoko Dembele almost inflicted further damage by striking the woodwork.
The managers
Wrexham's Phil Parkinson:
"We've changed the squad around completely. There was always going to be a period at the start where it doesn't go completely as you'd want it.
"We've got to work this week on the training pitch to put on a performance like we showed at Millwall two weeks ago (when Wrexham won 2-0).
"The previous home games, we looked like we can create chances and score. But the goals we conceded - on one hand, you'll say they were clinical but when we analyse them all, we'll know we could have done better.
"I thought we started the game well and then we had a scrappy period with some mistakes on the ball.
"The goal really typified that period. We had to clear our lines quicker and be braver in the key moments to keep the ball out of the net. The third goal was just a real killer for us, it knocked the stuffing out of us."
QPR's Julien Stephan:
"After the defeat against Coventry everyone in the club stayed very stable.
"We won the game against Charlton 3-1, the way we prepared with a good mindset.
"It was very important and now some players have arrived in the transfer window and we have players back from injuries.
"We don't have all the players available but we have more options now, especially with our strikers. I am very happy with the win."
