Wrexham 3 v. Charlton Athletic 0 - EFL League 1

Saturday 26th April 2025 - EFL League 1 - at STōK Cae Ras (Racecourse Ground) - Wrexham (Wrecsam) (2) 3 ( Ollie Rathbone 15, Sam Smith 18, 81) v. Charlton Athletic (0) 0 - Attendance: 12,774 inc. 1,276 away fans.

Wrexham: Okonkwo, Brunt, Cleworth, McClean (c), Dobson, Rodriguez (Fletcher 69), Rathbone, Scarr, Smith (Marriott 87), James, Longman. Unused subs - Burton, O’Connell, O’Connor, Barnett, Lee

Charlton Athletic: Mannion; Ramsay, Jones (Jones 53), Gillesphey; Watson (Gilbert 73), Anderson (Kanu 63), Coventry, Docherty (C), Edwards; Godden, Campbell. Unused subs - Bouzanis, Mitchell, McIntyre, Hylton

"It's a bumper game, we have to go to the circus and see what we can get." So said the Addicks manager, Nathan Jones, in his pre-match press briefing. Whoops! Though his quip was hardly a declaration of war or slight on the host club, some people claimed to have taken offence. Including the Red Dragons manager Phil Parkinson. Really!?

Anyone and everyone who's even slightly familiar with all of the TV coverage, scrutiny, almost round the clock exposure and no small amount of hype, that surrounds Wrexham FC circa. 2025, would have seen the flippant, throwaway remark for what it was. Just a harmless observation and reference to the media-circus that surrounds every single facet of the North Wales club’s existence. Which, for the most part, is generated, very professionally and successfully, from within the club itself.

The rise, rise and rise again of Wrexham FC, is quite some story, that to my way of thinking, more than justifies all of the column inches and TV coverage afforded to it. And, for the most part the ‘Welcome to Wrexham’ documentary series is actually very watchable too, despite it's detractors. Well, apart from the unnecessary interjections from that Stone-Island clad chap, who apparently thinks that he's some kind of bona-fide ‘Jack the lad’ telly-star. But hey! Every halfway decent circus needs a clown.

The latest episodes of ‘Welcome’ will be available to watch from May 16th and I for one will be glued to the telly. It’s a slickly produced and highly entertaining show. Full of characters that supporters of any team will find a great deal of empathy with. Parkinson, himself a former Charlton manager, is obviously learning, very quickly, how to use all of this media-coverage caper to his advantage. Maybe he should be given a cookery slot on the new series of the ‘docu-soap’.

Recipe for creating a knee-jerk reaction: Take a truncated snatch of an opposition manager's words out of context and then mix the ingredients together, stir them up, developing some kind of siege-mentality among the Racecourse Ground faithful… and then claim that Jones was being disrespectful to the clubs history, staff, players and supporters. Stir the mixture, then stir it a bit more.

“Do, do, do, football in a circus”, sang the Wrexham hordes as they cruised into a two-goal lead, inside the opening twenty minutes. And then backed that up with: “You’ve seen the circus, now fuck off home!”, directed at the travelling Addicks fans as the hosts scored a third (without reply) going into the final ten-minutes of the game. So mission accomplished Mr Parkinson, you definitely had your audience stoked up and hanging on to your every word for this late afternoon fixture.

Not that they needed much encouragement, given that Wycombe, the team who’ve jostled with Wrexham for the coveted runners up spot and automatic promotion all season lost 1-0 earlier this afternoon, against Leyton Orient, who moved back into the top six themselves as a consequence. That sixth-place is still up for grabs next weekend, when both Orient (away at Huddersfield Town) and Reading (who entertain Barnsley) will be hoping to claim the final play-off berth, where they will join: Stockport County, Wycombe Wanderers and (of course) Charlton Athletic.

It's testimony to the Addicks powers of recovery, from an indifferent start to their league campaign, that they were still (mathematically) in the running for a second-placed finish, right up until the penultimate weekend of the 2024-25 season. But they really missed the input of Luke Berry and Thierry Small today, who were both sidelined through injury today. While Lloyd Jones, only two games into his comeback from an enforced lay-off had been unable to train all week.

And last but not least, Chuks Aneke, who’s physical presence could have been used to good effect against Wrexham’s ultra-tight defence today, was suspended, following his straight-red card at Wycombe last weekend, where he’d got involved in an altercation, in the third minute of stoppage time, when Charlton were leading 0-4. Excuses? Contributory-factors? A combination of both?Either way, even at full-strength Wrexham were always going to be a tough obstacle to surmount.

The hosts threatened to take the lead inside the opening 15 minutes, but Macaulay Gillesphey put in a superb tackle to thwart Sam Smith, before putting the ball out of harms way (momentarily) by conceding a corner. However, from the resulting flag-kick, a routine straight from off of the training ground, saw the ball worked out to Ollie Rathbone, who lashed a low-shot from the edge of the penalty-area through a crowd of players and into the back of the net, past the unsighted Will Mannion.

Just three minutes later, Matty James floated a pass into the path of Smith, who was tearing forward in anticipation; the ball sat up kindly for the Wrexham striker who struck it first-time with a text-book volley. 2-0 and that coveted runners up spot was looking even further away from Charlton’s grasp now. But hey! All is not lost, there's still the play-offs to look forward to.

The visitors didn't throw the towel in, but it was all uphill from hereon in, with the Wrexham defence sticking rigidly to the task in hand. Tennai Watson and Tyreece Campbell both had half-chances to escape from the Welsh sides vice-like grip over the final-third, but it was becoming increasingly apparent that this wasn't go to be the Addicks afternoon. The away support did their level best to urge their favourite team on, but as the clock ticked down, it was party time at the Racecourse Ground and another grand finale in the making for a certain television show.

Going into the final ten minutes of the game Ryan Longman put in a cross from the left wing and Smith headed home, to put the outcome of this game beyond doubt. FT: 3-0. Congratulations Wrexham! (Llongyfarchiadau Wrecsam!). There wasn't any time to hang around to witness the celebrations because the trains in and out of this place, are few and far between

The journey here, plotting my way around cancelled trains, unannounced platform alterations leaving dozens of people stranded (including me)… and being refused entry to a connecting service en-route because it was already over-crowded, all made for a character building experience (and a half). Getting home, via five connecting services, three of which were delayed, was a doddle by comparison. Anyone who's ever travelled any distance by car to get here, will understand why I didn't even consider driving though. Bugger hynny!

Next up: Tomorrow I am going to watch Birmingham City v. Mansfield Town. And on Tuesday, I’ll be at Burton Albion v. Wigan Athletic, where the home side still need at least a draw to make them safe from relegation; while condemning Bristol Rovers and Crawley Town to the drop to League 2.