Wrexham secured a vital point following an entertaining 1-1 draw with Championship high-flyers Middlesbrough at the Riverside. The Welsh side dominated for large swathes of the match and took an early lead, courtesy of a brilliant strike from Josh Windass, which took a deflection on its way in. But there was heartache for the visitors after Hayden Hackney’s diving header drew the hosts level with just a few minutes of the match remaining.

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  Wrexham heartache at the Riverside

  It was the first-ever league meeting between the two sides and Middlesbrough were huge favourites coming into the match, having won eight of their last 11 home league games, but they were poor, with home fans airing their displeasure throughout the game. 

  And it was Wrexham who opened the scoring with just seven minutes on the clock. A stunning goal from Windass, pinged into the top right-hand corner, which took a deflection on its way in and left Boro keeper Sol Brynn absolutely no chance of saving. Kieffer Moore should have doubled the lead, but crashed his effort off the crossbar. 

  Middlesbrough pressed hard for an equaliser, forcing Wrexham's defence into a resolute performance. But the pressure eventually paid off, with the visitor's goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo making several key saves before being beaten as Boro's equaliser came from a header by Hackney in the 80th minute. This was the fifth time Phil Parkinson's side have conceded a late goal this season. 

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  The MVP

  Windass scored an absolute screamer and was a real thorn in Middlesbrough's side all afternoon. He’s been a brilliant addition since joining on a free transfer from Sheffield Wednesday and the goal is Windass's fourth of the season, having also netted against Southampton and Norwich. His impactful performances since joining will be be crucial for Wrexham's ambitious promotion hopes.

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  The big loser

  The draw with Wrexham is a body blow for Rob Edwards in Middlesbrough's promotion push. The result means The Boro, despite their home advantage, dropped crucial points, allowing league leaders Coventry City to extend their gap at the top after the Sky Blues beat Watford earlier in the day. Edwards showed a ruthless streak, making four changes at the half-time break, but his side struggled all afternoon. 

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  Match rating (out of five): ⭐⭐⭐

Tags: Futebol
Category: News