We’re nearing the home stretch for England’s numerous soccer leagues, which means plenty of drama as teams at all levels of the support face promotion and relegation battles. In the second division, Burnley F.C. clinched their automatic return to the Premier League this weekend with a win over Middlesborough. A few levels below that, Wrexham A.F.C. are looking to make a leap from England’s fifth division to its fourth — but it won’t be easy.
For the National League, where Wrexham currently play, finishing first will result in automatic promotion to League Two. The teams that finish second through seventh will have to compete for the remaining promotion spot — meaning that the second-best team won’t automatically be promoted.
This is especially of interest this season, as two teams have been significantly better than the rest of the division: Wrexham and Notts County. A gap of over 20 points separates the two from third-place Woking. And, wouldn’t you know it, Wrexham and Notts County faced off earlier today. Heading into the game, both teams had 100 points.
Turns out the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney-owned team had the better day, with an especially thrilling conclusion. At the end of the first half, Notts County had a 1-0 lead. Wrexham equalized and then took a 2-1 lead in the second half; Notts County evened it up in the 75th minute, and Wrexham retook the lead three minutes later.
And then, in the final seconds of the match, Notts County was awarded a penalty…which Wrexham goalkeeper Ben Foster saved, giving his team three points for the day.
The Untold Story Behind Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s Welsh Football Club
48 hours of songs, pints and unexpected friendships. This is one adventure you won’t see on the FX series “Welcome to Wrexham.”The season isn’t over yet, but Wrexham does have one advantage over Notts County going forward — a game in hand. Will Wrexham be welcomed into League Two next season? They just took a big step towards that destination.
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