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A week ago, Issa Kaboré and Jacques Ekomié were not yet Wrexham players. Now, it is difficult to picture how the team would have managed without either of them. They certainly would not have defeated Millwall 3–0 on Wednesday to claim their first victory of the new Championship campaign.
The duo were both announced as new additions last Thursday after Wrexham fast-tracked plans to strengthen at wingback following a serious injury to George Thomason and an unplanned transfer discussion with owners Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds ahead of the 1–1 draw with Watford. During that meeting, Phil Parkinson made clear the club needed to conduct more transfer business than originally anticipated.
Five days later, Kaboré and Ekomié were both present at the club's new training base at Colliers Park. Kaboré was reunited with former teammates from his Manchester City loan stint last season, while Ekomié got his first experience of the relentless Welsh rain that will serve as the backdrop to his opening months at the club.
Although neither made much of an impact against Birmingham City last Friday, just a day after joining the club, both proved far more effective against Millwall in midweek as history echoed for Phil Parkinson.
It was not until the fourth fixture of last season that Wrexham recorded their first win, defeating Millwall 2–0 at The Den. A year on, their first triumph of the season also arrived in the fourth league game, with a 3–0 victory away at Millwall.
Wrexham's New Signings Changed the Mood
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"I think that's one thing for sure with Jacques and Issa: they're both similar in terms of that," Parkinson told Sports Illustrated of the two signings. "They play with hunger and determination, and when we're looking at players, that's what we want in our players, and they certainly fit that category."
Those qualities were both evident for the opening goal, as Kaboré overlapped down the right flank into space and Ekomié burst into the box from the left, creating confusion among the Millwall backline.
Kaboré's cross took a wicked deflection off Zak Sturge and looped helplessly over goalkeeper Max Crocombe, who was left stranded.
While there was a significant element of fortune about the goal, it was fortune that Wrexham manufactured themselves through the energy and drive of their new wingbacks. These were qualities Parkinson's side so frequently lacked out wide last season, with Thomason and Ryan Longman the two most-used players in the wingback positions despite neither being naturally suited to the role.
It meant Wrexham went into halftime ahead despite failing to register a shot on target in the first half, not that any of the devoted supporters in the away end would have minded. All they wanted was to witness the first win of the season, something Wrexham should have secured on opening night after inexplicably drawing with Cardiff City.
For a brief moment, those same anxieties resurfaced when Lewis O'Brien fired an effort over the bar from inside the box. Fortunately, this time, they were quickly dispelled when Kieffer Moore collected the ball on the edge of the area and drilled a powerful effort into the bottom corner to all but secure the win.
It was a satisfying moment for Wrexham chief executive Michael Williamson, who has overseen the club's transfer activity this summer. Amid calls for a new striker to be brought in, he maintained the club was "comfortable" with its options and that the priority was simply to improve the service into them.
Those sentiments all came together for the third goal.
Wrexham now have a natural wingback on each side, and not just one. With his contribution complete, Kaboré was replaced by fellow summer recruit Danny Imray, who wasted no time making his mark with an excellent assist from the right.
Imray was found in plenty of space on the flank, and when Moore made a clever run to pull the defenders out of position, the cross fell to Ekomié, who had charged into the box and fired home a third to wrap up the victory in style.
It was a moment that demonstrated why it was so vital not only to sign those specialists in the summer, but also to have adequate cover so there was no decline in quality when they were unavailable.
With a first win secured—and such a commanding one at that—Wrexham can begin looking up the table rather than fretting about where their opening three points would come from.
They clearly possess enough quality at wingback to make this season a memorable one. If they can keep Moore fit, they may well have enough in attack, too.