While Wrexham didn’t have the best weekend, one of their former players and a real fan favourite enjoyed a really positive time with his latest club.
Wrexham fell to defeat against Stoke City on Saturday afternoon, bringing Phil Parkinson’s five-game unbeaten run to an end.
That result leaves the Red Dragons facing a fight against relegation this season. Indeed, if they can’t find a more clinical edge soon, Wrexham may well have to say goodbye to the Championship.
Relegation battles are something Luke Young knows all about, with his Cheltenham Town side currently embroiled in a tussle at the bottom of the League Two table. But, the former Wrexham man just inspired his team to a massively important victory.
Luke Young scores brace as Cheltenham Town secure important win
Prior to this weekend, Cheltenham had just two wins and eight points to their name. They came up against Welsh outfit Newport County, who are also fighting the drop, and came away from Wales with a 2-0 win.
Both goals came courtesy of Young, who bagged his first on 20 minutes by volleying into an open goal from the edge of the box after a messy clearance from the Newport goalkeeper. That was his first goal since December 20, 2024, when he scored in a 2-2 draw against Gillingham.
Young nearly cost his side in the second half, though, when he stalled on the ball and was dispossessed, leading to two failed Newport efforts on the Cheltenham goal.
The midfielder doubled his tally on the hour-mark and put the game beyond doubt with another brilliant volley. This prompted passionate celebrations from Young, who silenced the supporters before shrugging his shoulders and smiling, clearly surprised by his own goalscoring exploits.
After suffering a big injury towards the end of last season that caused him to miss 11 games, Young desperately needed a boost, and this performance will be just that. While Cheltenham are still in the relegation zone as things stand, they’ll be hoping this win can kickstart their season.
What Rob Mac said about Luke Young in the past
It’s no secret that Luke Young was Rob Mac’s favourite player at Wrexham. Just a year ago, the Wrexham owner said: “We have had so many valleys along the way, in so far of Ben Tozer and Luke Young – who is my favourite player. I was very public in stating that. That’s no slight on the other players, I just love Luke.
“He was our longest-tenured player, he was with us from the very beginning, so to say goodbye to him was devastating.”
He left the club for nothing last summer, but Young has stayed in touch with Ryan Reynolds since departing, too. Reynolds praised Young for his leadership qualities during his time at Wrexham.
The fact that Young is off the mark for the season, all while sinking a Welsh rival, will not be lost on Rob Mac or Reynolds, that’s for sure.