Wrexham may have started the new year with a defeat, but it’s not the end of the world, as one pundit takes a look at the bigger picture for the Red Dragons.
Wins against Blackpool and Wigan over the festive period had lifted Wrexham up to second in the League One table.
There were plenty of reasons to fear Barnsley ahead of the New Year’s Day clash, though, and Phil Parkinson’s side paid the price for ignoring the threat of both Davis Keillor-Dunn and Adam Phillips.
A poor first-half made way for a spirited fight back in the second 45, but it wasn’t enough for Wrexham, yet they shouldn’t be too disheartened by the result.
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Wrexham were unfortunate against Barnsley, but recent wins have been lucky
That’s according to the folks on the RobRyanRed podcast, who shared their thoughts on the defeat after the game on Twitter/X, insisting that a draw would have been a more fair result, but that overall, Wrexham have picked up points when they didn’t deserve them recently anyway.
They wrote: “On balance we probably deserved a point in the end, but we were fortunate to grab those wins against Blackpool and Wigan at the Cae Ras of late. [These things] have a habit of evening themselves out over the course of the season.”
Indeed, Wrexham left it late to secure their last two wins at the Racecourse Ground, and the Wigan victory in particular felt very much against the run of play.
Wrexham can take heart, too, that they have created a tonne of chances away at one of the best teams in the league, and that they come out of the game still just two points off the top spot in the division.
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Barnsley defeat is a major setback, but Wrexham have to respond quickly
Still, losing any game when you’re gunning for the title is a massive blow, and especially dropping points against a team that are fast gaining behind Wrexham, too.
However, we must remember that Wrexham’s record over 2024 has been impeccable in a number of areas, and we know Parkinson and the Wrexham squad will be incredibly hungry to get back on track come the weekend.
If they can beat Peterborough on Saturday, the defeat against Barnsley will soon be forgotten. What is most important is that Wrexham don’t follow this up with another loss and find themselves in a rut.