This weekend, Wrexham travelled to face Newport County and fell to a 1-0 defeat for the first time since December. The game turned on a red card for Will Boyle which has now opened up about.
It had been a great few weeks for Wrexham as their form had carried them as high as second in League Two.
With just one loss against Walsall in seven games, Phil Parkinson’s eyes must have been on taking that top spot.
There wasn’t much to talk about throughout the game as the home side dominated from start to finish in the end.
Newport took the lead early on through a superb Seb Palmer Houlden header which looped up and over Arthur Okonkwo. This was followed by a smattering of various chances for the hosts but they couldn’t take advantage.
It was a disappointing day for the Reds for multiple reasons. However, it must be said that the game switched on a decision early on which swung the game in County’s favour.
Phil Parkinson on Will Boyle Seeing Red
Wrexham had struggled to create a goal-scoring opportunity early on but that certainly wasn’t helped by Will Boyle.
His lunging tackle appeared to have won the ball but the referee wasn’t so convinced with his follow through. This sparked anger amongst the Newport players and fans who made their opinions clear.
After some deliberation and consultation with the linesman, the referee’s mind was made and the red was brandished.
It is safe to say that this impacted the game in a negative sense for the Reds. Parkinson wasn’t afraid to discuss the moment as he opened up to the Wrexham YouTube channel.
Firstly, the manager said: “A lot went against us and we weren’t able to overcome it today. A lot of times we’ve been down to 10 men, we’ve found a way to win, but you can’t keep doing that. It is difficult. We have to make sure between now and the end of the season we keep our discipline.”
The challenge could have gone either way and on another day may have seen a yellow given. Without systems like VAR in place it is difficult to completely judge.
On that point, Parkinson was frustrated to an extent. He added: “I think Boyle slid in, his momentum has taken him and he’s caught the lad. I don’t think it was intentional, the ref doesn’t see it because you can clearly see there are players between him and the decision.
“The linesman is the one who made the deciding factor. If you freeze-frame it and saw where the contact was you’d say it was a red, but I don’t think Boyle’s intentionally done it, I think his momentum has just carried him through.”
A tough day for everyone associated with Wrexham but one they need to move on from quickly.