Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson was understandably upset after witnessing Jannik Vestergaard equalize for Leicester from a «nothing moment» in their 1-1 draw, yet he acknowledged the positives from a determined display in adverse weather conditions.
The Dragons dominated much of a rainy and blustery evening in north Wales, taking the lead with Lewis O’Brien’s 63rd-minute goal while limiting a lackluster Leicester for the majority of the second half.
After conceding, the Foxes didn’t register a single shot on goal until they earned a late free kick, where Caleb Okoli redirected Jordan Ayew’s lofted ball for Vestergaard to convert.
Wrexham evidently performed much better than in Saturday’s 2-1 home loss to Norwich, but were unable to secure a win that would have placed them level on points with sixth-placed Preston.
Parkinson reflected: «Another hour from now I might focus more on the positives, but conceding so late in a moment that seemed inconsequential definitely stings.
«If you disregard the closing moment, which we will inevitably analyze, I’d remark on how gritty and hardworking the performance was, showing a fantastic response from the previous weekend.
«However, the shine is taken away since we didn’t manage one ball into the box that was caught up in the wind; it almost became erratic.
«If we head that clear, we’ve won the match. They reacted faster, it felt like a slow-motion scenario.
«Thus, we feel frustrated because apart from one counter-attacking opportunity in the second half, we were largely untroubled all night.»
Instead of drawing level with Preston, who faced a 3-0 home defeat to Hull, Wrexham had to settle for ninth place.
Marti Cifuentes’ inconsistent Leicester team produced very little for much of the match but seized the opportunity once Wrexham failed to add a decisive second goal.
The Spaniard acknowledged that his team had difficulty adjusting to the conditions but commended their relentless effort to secure a late equalizer.
«The second half was underwhelming,» he stated. «Naturally, conceding the lead emotionally impacted us greatly; a lot of frustration, a myriad of situations that were hard to comprehend—but credit to the players for fighting until the end and securing a point.
«That said, it doesn’t change our disappointment. We’re always striving for three points, regardless of whether we’re the away team or up against a strong opponent.
«We always aim for three points. One point is preferable to none, but it’s not what we aimed for.»
In response to the lack of chances created by his side, Cifuentes commented: «We must perform significantly better.
«You could see the emotions after the goal, and in the final few minutes, we appeared to be more aggressive in seeking that second goal.»
Wrexham will return to the field on Saturday against Queens Park Rangers.
