Wrexham fans have been left reeling in time for the weekend, after they watched their side slump to a disappointing 1-1 draw against strugglers Bristol Rovers on Friday.
Starting the day at opposite ends of the League One table, there was no sign of Wrexham being the promotion-chasing team and Bristol Rovers being the relegation-threatened one.
The Gas started well and even took the lead through Taylor Moore. Inigo Calderon’s side had the lead right up until the 76th minute when Matty James found an equaliser, and although Wrexham pushed for a winner, they couldn’t find it, eventually drawing 1-1 against Bristol Rovers.
Even if they had done, they wouldn’t have deserved it. Phil Parkinson, who watched the game from the stands, is once again coming under scrutiny for his team selection and also for his changes in the game.
Something that former player and Matchday Live pundit Andy Morrell had plenty to say about after the game.
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Andy Morrell rues Elliot Lee change in Wrexham 1-1 Bristol Rovers
To Parkinson’s credit, the first load of changes he made helped swing the game in Wrexham’s favour. Dan Scarr came on at the break and Wrexham went on to dominate the second half, with James McClean and Steven Fletcher coming soon after the hour mark and making a positive impact, replacing Jay Rodriguez who Wrexham fans thought was poor.
George Dobson entered the game after 75 minutes and then Jack Marriott with five minutes to go, replacing Elliot Lee. But Morrell thinks taking off Lee with only a few minutes to go killed off the game, and condemned Wrexham to a share of the points.
He said on Matchday Live after the game: “I thought the changes were really positive. McClean coming on. Fletcher coming on. Really positive. But then we made the next one, when Marriott comes on, and it just changes the dynamic of the front-three, and that last 10 minutes just didn’t really work out the way that we thought it might.
“I think maybe leaving Lee on, in hindsight, might have been the way forward because they just got in each other’s way more often than not.”
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Elliot Lee stats for Wrexham against Bristol Rovers
Speaking before the Bristol Rovers clash, Lee shared his excitement about the run-in with Wrexham, suggesting that at other clubs with nothing to play for, it’s boring.
Bu Wrexham is anything but boring. A last-minute winner would’ve lifted the roof off the Racecourse and if Lee was kept on the pitch then the Dragons might well have had that winner.
He had a good game on the whole having now played 37 times in League One this season, scoring seven and assisting three more.
| Statistic | Lee vs Bristol Rovers |
| Touches | 61 |
| Passes complete | 27 |
| Pass success | 60% |
| Key passes | 2 (1st) |
| Duels | 3 won out of 9 |
| Possession lost | 24 |
Perhaps Parkinson was looking to give Lee a little break before Monday’s game, albeit a five minute break: if that’s the case then it makes the substitution all the more baffling.
Wrexham play Blackpool at Bloomfield Road on Monday afternoon.