Wrexham blew a chance to go level on points with Wycombe Wanderers as poor finishing cost the Red Dragons two points in a 0-0 draw with Bolton.
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Wrexham blow chance to win in 0-0 drawO'Connor blazes over while Longman impressesBirmingham beat Wycombe in other Saturday gameFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱TELL ME MORE
The Red Dragons were without Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer, both of them dropped from a League One matchday squad yet again, as they hosted Bolton in a game devoid of any clinical finishing. Both sides had chances to take the lead in the opening stages, with January signing Sam Smith coming closest for the Red Dragons after 24 minutes but the forward’s downward header bounced and looped over the bar. The Wrexham pressure appeared to have broken the deadlock seven minutes before the break when Eoghan O'Connell struck but the celebrations were cut short immediately after the referee blew for a foul in the build-up.
Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo was then given a fright by former Arsenal academy team-mate Jordi Osei-Tutu when the left-midfielder rattled the bar from a tight angle. After a scrappy but entertaining first-half, neither side were able to register a shot on target, let alone a breakthrough, with improvement needed.
Wrexham started the second period brightly and pressed the visitors high up the pitch although it was Bolton who found the net through Josh Sheehan, only for an offside flag to save the Red Dragons. The disallowed goal sparked life into the home fans and players and a deep Sebastian Revan cross was met by an impressive header back across goal from Ryan Longman to Thomas O'Connor who, from two yards out, inexplicably spooned his effort over the bar.
The game opened up in the latter stages, Osei-Tutu again threatened down the Bolton left and pulled back to Carlos Mendes-Gomes who blazed his effort over the Wrexham net. Jack Marriott was sent clean through before the end but could only drag his effort 10 yards wide and Okonkwo was then the hero for Wrexham as he denied James Collins with a smart stop down to his right. A late O'Connor free-kick caused a few murmurs but went wide with the last kick of the game and it all ended square.
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Wrexham will take heart from their promotion rival's misfortune as Wycombe Wanderers lost to league leaders Birmingham. While the Blues grow increasingly out-of-sight, the Red Dragons will now be set on chasing down the second automatic promotion spot. Phil Parkinson's side are just two points off Wycombe after Saturday's results.
Getty Images SportTHE MVP
Ryan Longman was the standout performer for the Red Dragons. A constant threat down the Wrexham right-flank, the wing-back put in a series of dangerous crosses and should have provided a match-winning assist. He was surprsingly subbed after 73 minutes.
Getty Images SportTHE BIG LOSER
Thomas O'Connor will be having nightmares tonight about his missed chance. The defender found himself alone, just metres out, and was unable to convert Longman's header back across goal. O'Connor, leaning back when he struck the effort, will not want to watch that golden chance again.
