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A brilliant set of results across Matchday 44 helped Wrexham climb back into the playoff positions, primarily thanks to their narrow 1–0 win against Oxford United.
The Red Dragons had managed just one victory in their previous five league outings before reigniting their campaign at the weekend against Stoke City. Building on that crucial win, Phil Parkinson's side returned to action in midweek and departed Oxford with all three points secured.
Josh Windass's strike proved to be the decisive moment between the two clubs, and could ultimately prove pivotal in the battle for the Championship playoff spots, given that Wrexham's closest rivals, Hull City and Derby County, both failed to win on Tuesday night.
Just two fixtures remain for each of the three sides fighting over the final playoff berth, and unfortunately for Wrexham, they face the most demanding run-in at the most crucial stage of the campaign.
Wrexham Standings: EFL Championship Table After 44 Games
Place | Team | Points | Games Played |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Coventry City | 89 | 44 |
2 | Millwall | 79 | 44 |
3 | Ipswich Town | 76 | 42 |
4 | Southampton | 76 | 44 |
5 | Middlesbrough | 73 | 43 |
6 | Wrexham | 70 | 44 |
7 | Hull City | 70 | 44 |
8 | Derby County | 66 | 44 |
Wrexham climbed into sixth position following their midweek victory, pushing Hull—who could only manage a 2–2 stalemate with Leicester City—down to seventh. The two clubs are tied on 70 points after 44 matches, though the Red Dragons hold a superior goal difference of +6 compared to the Tigers' +4.
Derby also faltered in midweek, suffering a 2–1 defeat to Norwich City. The Rams now sit four points adrift of sixth place with just two games left, making their chances of leapfrogging both Wrexham and Hull extremely unlikely.
Middlesbrough, meanwhile, possess a game in hand and likely remain beyond reach despite sitting just three points above Wrexham in the table.
Hull, Wrexham and Derby's Remaining Championship Fixtures
Hull City (6th, 69 points) | Wrexham (7th, 67 points) | Derby (8th, 66 points) |
|---|---|---|
Charlton vs. Hull (April 25) | Coventry vs. Wrexham (April 26) | QPR vs. Derby (April 25) |
Hull vs. Norwich (May 2) | Wrexham vs. Middlesbrough (May 2) | Derby vs. Sheffield Utd (May 2) |
Wrexham face two daunting fixtures to wrap up their season. They must first head to Coventry to take on Frank Lampard's already-promoted outfit before returning home to face playoff rivals Middlesbrough.
The Red Dragons will look to draw inspiration from their October victory over Coventry, but they face a stern test in earning another three points against the Sky Blues, who have suffered just one defeat in their last 14 outings.
Middlesbrough represents a slightly more manageable challenge, though not by a wide margin. The encouraging sign for Parkinson's squad, however, is that their final opponents have dropped points in each of their last seven matches and no longer carry the same threat they posed for much of the campaign.
Hull City, meanwhile, should have a relatively straightforward encounter against 20th-place Charlton before rounding off the season at home to Norwich. The Canaries are more than capable of causing Sergej Jakirović's side problems—as Derby County found out on Tuesday.
The Rams are effectively out of playoff contention following Norwich's victory over them in midweek, but they will still be eager to finish the season strongly and maintain pressure on both Hull and Wrexham. Derby will fancy their chances against QPR and Sheffield United—two teams they already defeated earlier this season—but even a maximum six points may not be sufficient.