Wrexham won both games against Wycombe in promotion race

Leader Live

18-05-2025

The teams met on the opening day of the League One campaign at The Racecourse and Wrexham won 3-2 but Wycombe then embarked on a fantastic run and remained in the hunt for a top-two finish along with the Reds during the run-in.
Sam Smith netted the only goal in the reverse fixture at Adams Park on March 15 as Wrexham secured another massive win and after Wycombe lost 1-0 at play-off hopefuls Leyton Orient on the penultimate weekend of the season, Parkinson's men beat Charlton Athletic 3-0 at home to secure an historic third successive promotion ahead of the final-day showdown at Lincoln City.
Runners-up Wrexham beat the Imps 2-0 to extend the unbeaten run to 10 games and finish with 92 points while Wycombe lost their last three matches to end up in fifth position, setting up a play-off semi-final clash with Charlton Athletic.
Wycombe ran out of steam in the final straight but Parkinson acknowledged the part that the Chairboys played in the battle for the second automatic promotion spot behind champions Birmingham City.
"The first game against Wycombe, no-one really thought they would be up there at that stage but we looked at them in pre-season and thought that they're going to be a force to be reckoned with," said the Reds' boss.
"To get the double over Wycombe has obviously been very pivotal."
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It goes without saying that the victory over Charlton was one of Parkinson's stand out games in another memorable season.
Wrexham's destiny was in their own hands anyway but the Reds knew they would be guaranteed to go straight up to the Championship with a game to go if they beat the Addicks after nearest rivals Wycombe suffered a defeat at Orient in the early kick-off.
"Seeing the Wycombe result, it was 'come on lads, let's produce when it matters the most' and I am so proud of that," he said.
"Stood on the touchline at the end of the game, I said to Steve Parkin that it means a lot when the pressure is on and the lads produce, and they did."
Wrexham only lost one of their final 15 games, a 2-0 defeat at Reading on March 11, but the Reds bounced back immediately by beating Wycombe in that top of the table clash four days later.
"There's so many pivotal moments when when you look back," said Parkinson.
"Obviously defeat at Reading was disappointing but then going to Wycombe and winning was a brilliant response. That was a great day."
Only big-spending Birmingham finished above Wrexham while Stockport County, Charlton, Wycombe and Orient are contesting the play-offs as highly fancied teams such as Bolton Wanderers and Huddersfield Town missed out on a top-six finish, underlining how well the Reds fared after making the step up from League Two.
"The strength of the division this season and coming into it with a lot of players who hadn't played at the level - obviously some had - and seeing how we'd adapt to it, look at the teams we've left in our wake," added Parkinson.
"The teams who didn't even make the play-offs and teams like Charlton who are such a big club and have a lot of resources and will be in the play-offs.
"Take everything into consideration, to get into the Championship is amazing."