Wrexham delivered a performance worthy of the occasion as they hosted league leaders Birmingham in the ‘Hollywood Derby’.
Phil Parkinson made three changes to the starting lineup that performed poorly in the defeat against Shrewsbury, with one of those alterations, George Dobson, having a significant impact on the game.
Wrexham got off to a great start with a soaring strike from midfielder Ollie Rathbone past Ryan Allsop, but Birmingham equalised when a Lyndon Dykes header deflected off Dobson.
The Red Dragons fought for a winner in the second half; keeper Arthur Okonkwo had no shots to save, but significant efforts from James McClean and substitute Steven Fletcher couldn’t get past the outstanding Allsop in the Birmingham goal.
Wrexham fans impressed with performance in draw with Birmingham City
The Racecourse Ground was packed with fans, and they undoubtedly contributed to the team’s success, particularly in the second half.
Some Wrexham fans have turned to X to express their thoughts on the team’s performance against the League One leaders. One fan remarked, “Best match we’ve played given the opposition’s strength. “The guys were awesome tonight.”
One fan ate ‘humble pie’ after criticising the team following the Shrewsbury defeat, writing: “I was quick enough to criticise their performance last week, so I must eat humble pie this week, they were outstanding tonight, not the same team that played Birmingham last time and not the one that played Shrewsbury.”
George Dobson, Ollie Rathbone and Max Cleworth are highlighted as star performers for Wrexham
While the squad performed admirably, three players received special recognition for their contributions on the night.
Olli Rathbone received a 9/10 in the Wrexham player ratings after working relentlessly and producing a moment of beauty to open the scoring.
Fans praised George Dobson for his superb performance in the centre of midfield, while Parkinson praised Max Cleworth for neutralising Birmingham’s lethal marksman Jay Stansfield.
Wrexham will now hope to capitalise on the defeat to gain momentum in the race for League One promotion, with Stevenage the next opponents.