Wrexham dropped points against Bristol Rovers this weekend through an error from Ryan Barnett, but another Red Dragons star was poor all game.
Having lost ground in the promotion race last weekend against Cambridge United, Wrexham had been hoping to get back to winning ways against lowly Bristol Rovers.
However, despite leading from the 18th minute onwards, Phil Parkinson’s side threw away the win in the final moments of the game.
Ryan Barnett has created plenty of goals this season, but he made a big mistake at the other end on Saturday that cost his team dearly.
Still, he isn’t the only member of the Wrexham squad who will be disappointed with his performance, as Eoghan O’Connell had a torrid time against Bristol Rovers.
Eoghan O’Connell was way off his best vs Bristol Rovers
The ‘aggressive’ O’Connell has been praised all season for his displays at the back for Wrexham, but it was an uncharacteristically flawed display from him at the Memorial Stadium, full of misplaced passes, poor handling of possession, and an inability to deal with his opponents’ attackers.
O’Connell picked up a yellow card for a foul early in the second half. On top of that, he failed to win four of his duels on the day, and also ending up losing possession 16 times throughout the course of the game.
| Statistics | Eoghan O’Connell vs Bristol Rovers |
|---|---|
| Minutes played | 90 |
| Clearances | 5 |
| Duel success | 71% |
| Pass success | 59% |
| Possession lost | 16 |
| Fouls | 1 |
While he did manage to make one interception and five clearances in his 90-minute outing, O’Connell was seriously poor with his passing, completing just 59% of his 39 passes — although, to be fair, the likes of Max Cleworth and Mark Howard fared even worse in that department.
Indeed, it was a sloppy showing from O’Connell, and one he will want to make amends for as quickly as possible.
Phil Parkinson needs a reaction from O’Connell and co. for Boxing Day clash
The same can be said for plenty of players in the Wrexham lineup, though, and Parkinson has not sugar-coated his disappointment after the Bristol Rovers game.
With a tough game against Blackpool coming up on Boxing Day, the Wrexham manager will be looking for a huge reaction from his players.
We know Parkinson is not afraid to mix things up with his team selections, either, so some players may well find that they have lost their place in the starting XI for the Blackpool game.
Indeed, if Wrexham want to keep up the pressure at the top, they will need to get back on track immediately.