Wrexham fell to defeat against Stoke City this weekend, and Potters boss Mark Robins has spoken about how close his side came to suffering at the hands of the Red Dragons.
After a run of five games without defeat, Phil Parkinson’s men finally lost this weekend in a tight contest at the Bet365 Stadium.
Sorba Thomas struck in the 36th minute and Stoke held on until the final whistle to secure the three points and climb back up to third place in the Championship table.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 15 |  SouthamptonSouthampton | 10 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 11 | 12 | -1 | 12 |
| 16 |  WatfordWatford | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 12 | -1 | 12 |
| 17 |  BirminghamBirmingham | 10 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 14 | -4 | 12 |
| 18 |  WrexhamWrexham | 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 16 | -2 | 10 |
| 19 |  Oxford UnitedOxford United | 10 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 13 | -2 | 9 |
| 20 |  NorwichNorwich | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 15 | -4 | 8 |
| 21 |  DerbyDerby | 10 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 16 | -5 | 8 |
The result leaves Wrexham facing a relegation battle now, and they’ll be eager to bounce back against Oxford United on Wednesday night.
Sadly, Wrexham fans have blamed Ryan Longman for the loss this weekend, and even Mark Robins pointed to the wing-back’s glaring miss as a key turning point in the game.
- READ MORE: Phil Parkinson says what he privately told Wrexham players immediately after Stoke City loss
What Mark Robins said after Stoke City beat Wrexham
Speaking after the game, Robins referenced Longman’s miss early in the game when he discussed his relief at getting the win in difficult circumstances.
Robins said: “Giving up that chance in the first half, where they missed it, it makes you feel a little bit relieved that they didn’t take that because it was gilt edged – an open goal really, but they missed.
“So that was a let off and I thought we were good value for a win. I think that you’re playing against a side that’s obviously got a lot of momentum behind them, a lot of support and some good players.
“They’re managed well. Phil [Parkinson] has done incredibly well with the promotions he’s had and continues to do well. So they’re a tough team to play against. They’ve got some really good players.”
Dom Hyam said after the game that Wrexham didn’t create enough chances. All it takes, sometimes, is one good chance, and it’s safe to say the Red Dragons had just that.
Who knows how different the game could have gone if Longman had slotted that ball into the back of the net instead of into the side netting.
Sorba Thomas upsets Welsh followers with celebration
Wrexham fans were not just unhappy with Longman, but also had some frustration with Stoke’s matchwinner Sorba Thomas.
The Welsh winger celebrated rather emphatically after scoring, plugging his ears and telling the travelling supporters he couldn’t hear them anymore. This came after Thomas had received some booing while taking a corner near the Wrexham fans.
Naturally, as an opponent getting a bit of stick, Thomas had every right to clap back at the Wrexham supporters. However, there are some who have voiced their disappointment that a Welshman would be so eager to rile up the fans of a Welsh club.
Either way, Thomas proved once again he is a top talent and one of the Championship’s top performers. That’s four goals and four assists this season for the 26-year-old; the kind of output that the Wrexham squad could really use right now.