Wrexham can now reflect upon another successful season under Phil Parkinson following promotion to the Championship.
Parkinson has guided Wrexham to three successive promotions after first taking the reigns with the club in the National League under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
Attentions will begin to turn to next season but Wrexham’s players are off to Las Vegas to celebrate their achievement, whilst Parkinson has been nominated for another award – this time the manager of the month for April.
Wrexham are expecting a busy summer and players may depart the club with a heavy heart, Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer are likely to leave the Racecourse Ground.
However, memories of a lifetime have been created this season and we look back at five key goals that helped secure another historic promotion from League One.
Five key goals in Wrexham’s League One promotion season
Every goal and every point was important along the way to securing second place in the table and automatic promotion to the Championship.
Wrexham broke a club record ending on 92 points having gone past the 90 point barrier for the first time in their EFL history.
Here are five key goals that helped them to achieve the historic feat and continue the incredible rise up the English football pyramid.
Steven Fletcher – Wrexham 2-1 Wigan Athletic
Fresh off a last gap penalty winner just three days previous against Blackpool, Steven Fletcher came up with the goods once again, only this time even later in the game as stoppage time ran down.
With the score at 1-1, James McClean floated a ball deep to the back post where Fletcher was moving away from goal and would have found it difficult to get any purchase on a header.
Instead the Scot used his experience to chest the ball down and fire instinctively as the ball dropped into the near post and past the keeper. A huge goal to grab another crucial three points over the festive period.
Elliot Lee – Crawley Town 1-2 Wrexham
Elliot Lee ended the season as the club’s top scorer in the league but of his eight goals for the season, none were more important than his winner at Crawley Town.
There was much excitement heading into the game as new signings Jay Rodriguez and Sam Smith made their debuts but Wrexham struggled to capitalise on an early goal and were hanging on for a point.
That was until fellow January acquisition Ryan Longman showed great pace down the right flank to stand a beautiful cross towards the penalty spot for substitute Lee to arrive late and head the ball home.
It was literally the last kick of the game as the referee blew the full time whistle upon the resumption and the Red Dragons stole two more vital points in their quest for glory.
Sam Smith – Wycombe Wanderers 0-1 Wrexham
Smith was compared to Robin Van Persie following a stunning volley that secured three points away at Wrexham’s direct promotion rival.
The Red Dragons striker had looked threatening for the majority of the second half during a cagey affair at Adams Park but produced his moment of magic shortly after the game was restarted with a medical emergency in the crowd.
With the ball dropping over his right shoulder, Smith fired the ball with his left across the helpless Wycombe keeper and into the far corner to send the away fans into raptures.
James McClean – Blackpool 1-2 Wrexham
Wrexham’s 1-1 draw with Bristol Rovers on Good Friday had seen them slip out of the automatic promotion places and have their fate taken out of their own hands.
Parkinson’s side were under severe pressure to get a result against a Blackpool side charging for the play offs but nerves were calmed just past the hour mark as captain McClean cut in from the right to fire home.
It was a sumptuous strike from McClean following a fantastic cross field pass from George Dobson and the goal set his side up to claim the three points on Easter Monday and set up the showdown with Charlton Athletic.
Sam Smith – Wrexham 3-0 Charlton Athletic
Reynolds is still watching Smith’s goal from this game as the striker produced an acrobatic effort that saw the Red Dragons race into a 2-0 lead and ultimately destroy any doubts about their impending promotion.
Having already taken the lead through Ollie Rathbone, Wrexham knew a win would secure Championship football and Matty James seized the initiative with a superb pass over the top of the Addicks defence.
Similar to his Wycombe strike, Smith let the ball come over his shoulder before flying through the air and volleying past the Charlton keeper to give a moment that supporters will remember forever.