Inside story of Wrexham's Football League promotion and the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney effect
Saturday, April 22 is a day which will live long in the memory for all Wrexham fans.
Heading into their clash with Boreham Wood on the final day, the Red Dragons knew a win would seal promotion back to the Football League after a 15-year absence. The Red Dragons had beaten Notts County 3-2 on Easter Monday in what many described as a title decider. But they still needed three points on the final afternoon of the season to be sure. But in the National League, nothing is straightforward.
With just a minute on the clock, Lee Ndlovu lobbed ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster to give Boreham Wood a shock lead. Those at the Racecourse Ground could be forgiven for fearing another promotion near miss.
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But for the players, manager Phil Parkinson and the rest of his coaching staff, there was no panic. Speaking to MEN Sport, Wrexham's first team coach and reserve team manager David Jones explained the mood on the bench.
"I've been in these situations before on the pitch and closing out a season is always very difficult to do," he said. "I thought the players dealt with the setback brilliantly.
"When we beat Notts County there was a few games left and we had to try and finish the job. Each game brought more pressure to the table.
"It was a difficult start conceding but the gaffer, Steve [Parkin], Aiden [Davison] and the other first team staff have been through these experiences many a time. They were just really calm about it which translated to the players and I think it showed how much we had grown from the previous season. We dealt with the disappointment of conceding early and then the lads kicked into gear."
Wrexham would eventually secure the vital three points
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