Wrexham achieved another landmark moment in their meteoric rise under the ownership of actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac after reaching the last 16 of England’s FA Cup for the first time since 1997 on Friday.
Wrexham beat fellow second-tier Championship side Ipswich Town 1-0 in north Wales to clinch their place in the fifth round draw after a 29-year absence.
Josh Windass scored the only goal of the game in the 34th minute to give Phil Parkinson’s side the win.
– Wrexham have Premier League in sight, 5 years after Reynolds and Mac takeover
«We said before the game that it’s an opportunity to make our own bit of FA Cup history and to get into the fifth round is great for everybody,» manager Parkinson told TNT Sports.
«It’s an important cup competition for this football club and we wanted to respect that tonight and I feel we did with our performance.»
Both teams are in contention for promotion to the Premier League; Ipswich are in third place and hoping for an immediate return to the league they left last summer. Wrexham are seven points behind in sixth and bidding for a fourth consecutive promotion that would take them into the top tier for the first time in their 158-year history.
Friday’s win was the second time Wrexham have beaten opposition ranked above them in this season’s FA Cup after upsetting Premier League Nottingham Forest in the previous round.
Wrexham will find out their next opponent after the fifth-round draw on Monday.
By making 10 changes for this encounter, Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna indicated his priority is that league rematch.
The unfamiliarity in Ipswich’s lineup played into Wrexham’s hands but, after failing to take advantage of a goalkeeper error in the first minute, it took them some time to settle into the contest.
They could have gone ahead after Alex Palmer came out of his area to head away a long ball but failed to make clean contact.
Windass retrieved the ball out wide and whipped it into the area for Sam Smith, but Palmer scrambled back to smother his shot.
There was little else to excite the crowd on a chilly evening until Windass pounced on 34 minutes. George Thomason overhit a cross from the left, but Ryan Longman recovered on the opposite side and centered for Windass to turn in.
Ollie Rathbone went close to doubling the lead moments later after turning on the edge of the box, but Palmer produced a brilliant one-handed save to push away his curling effort.
In a lively end to a largely dull first half, Thomason fizzed in a dangerous low cross, but Ipswich managed to clear.
The visitors almost equalized after the break when a long throw-in by Jens Cajuste led to a goalmouth scramble but Arthur Okonkwo blocked from Chuba Akpom on the line. Max Cleworth also got in the way of an Akpom effort, and Elkan Baggott shot wide.
Ipswich’s greater urgency forced Wrexham back for a long spell. Wrexham weathered that storm and Windass forced a save from Palmer from a wide angle.
Windass had further opportunities but saw another shot blocked before Palmer dealt with a glancing header.
Palmer went forward for a late corner as Ipswich tried to force extra time, but Wrexham held on for a memorable win.
PA and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
