Wrexham looked to secure a place in the third round of the Carabao Cup as they faced Championship rivals Preston North End.
Phil Parkinson made eleven changes from the 2-2 draw with Sheffield Wednesday as Jacob Mendy was given a rare start, whilst Callum Doyle made his debut for the club.
Preston took an early lead as Lewis Dobbin curled the ball into the top corner from inside the area before Wrexham swiftly responded with a magnificent strike from Ryan Hardie.
The hosts restored their lead just after the half hour mark as Liam Lindsay powered home a header from a corner.
An improved display from the Red Dragons in the second half was rewarded when Harry Ashfield’s strike deflected into the bottom right corner to bring the scores level once again.
Parkinson’s side snatched a late victory when a long ball into the box from Ryan Barnett was pounced upon by Kieffer Moore as the striker tapped the ball home following a mistake from Preston keeper Jack Walton.
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Winners from Wrexham’s clash with Preston North End
Ryan Hardie
Ryan Hardie has had a mixed start to his Wrexham career, limited to substitute appearances in the league and failed to impress from the start in the previous round of the Carabao Cup.
However, he well and truly announced himself to the Red Dragons faithful with a stunner of an equaliser in the first half.
Hardie curled the ball from the edge of the penalty area over the goalkeeper’s despairing dive and into the top right hand corner to give his team a foothold after a tough start to the match.
The 28-year-old did not stop running all game and caused Preston’s defence all sorts of problems with his tenacity and penetrative runs. He has given Parkinson something to think about ahead of the Millwall clash.
Arthur Okonkwo
Nothing Arthur Okonkwo could do with the Preston goals on the night, however, the keeper was kept busy all evening.
He made a number of fine saves and looked quick and decisive off his line to prevent Preston getting in behind a sluggish Wrexham defence on numerous occasions.
With Wrexham fans unsure over Danny Ward, Okonkwo did his case to reclaim the number one jersey no harm with his display.
Harry Ashfield
Harry Ashfield looked a little lost during the first half with the 19-year-old chasing shadows like many of his other teammates.
However, what would have impressed Parkinson the most is the fact that the Wrexham academy graduate was one of the main driving forces behind his team’s recovery in the second half.
Ashfield was everywhere in the second period, pressing high, winning tackles and was rewarded with his second senior goal.
Character goes a long way in football and Parkinson would have seen tonight that Ashfield has it in abundance.
Kieffer Moore
Fresh from his first two goals for the club against Sheffield Wednesday, Moore continues to silence doubters over his move to North Wales.
As soon as the Wales striker entered the pitch with ten minutes to go, Wrexham had a real target to hit in the box and they soon found their reward for an excellent second half performance.
A barrage of crosses in the final five minutes evaded Moore before a hopeful ball from Barnett was challenged by Moore and the striker was quickest to pounce when Walton dropped the cross.
His third goal in two games sends Wrexham into the third round of the Carabao Cup and dreaming of a glamour Premier League tie.
Losers from Wrexham’s clash with Preston North End
Ollie Palmer
Ollie Palmer was the hero of the first round as his late brace saved Wrexham from crashing out at the first hurdle against Hull City.
However, there was no place in the squad for Palmer this time around and the striker is edging closer to the exit door with the transfer window slamming shut in a matter of days.
There was no one last hurrah for the 33-year-old and Parkinson has told Palmer to leave Wrexham this summer in order to find regular first-team football elsewhere.
Several teams in Leagues One and Two are interested in Palmer and Wrexham fans are now resigned to the fact that his last touch in the red shirt was him scoring a penalty in the previous round’s shoot-out victory.
Eoghan O’Connell
Eoghan O’Connell would have wanted to show Parkinson that he can still play a big part in Wrexham’s season having not featured in the league campaign.
However, the defender looked off the pace from the very first minute and had trouble dealing with the pace and trickery of Lewis Dobbin all game.
O’Connell was beaten by Lindsay to the ball for the second goal and his showing did nothing to convince the manager that he should be seeing more game time in the second tier.