No Hollywood ending for Wrexham

Wrexham suffered a merciless FA Cup plot twist as the non-league membership run via film stars conceded two stoppage-time goals in a three-1 defeat at Sheffield United on Tuesday.

Owned by way of Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney on the grounds that 2020, Wrexham had grow to be the headline act on this 12 months’s FA Cup.

They defeated 2d-tier Coventry in the 1/3 spherical and took Championship merchandising chasers United right down to the cord earlier than eventually bowing out in a fourth-spherical replay at Bramall Lane.

Anel Ahmedhodzic positioned United beforehand however Wrexham equalised thru Paul Mullin’s penalty to spark dreams of any other against-the-odds result immediately from the pages of a blockbuster film script.Mullin then overlooked a penalty that could have given Wrexham the lead and Billy Sharp and Sander Berge performed the villains with desires deep into stoppage time to earn United a 5th-spherical tie in opposition to Tottenham.

Despite the lack of a Hollywood ending, Reynolds, unable to attend the in shape, saluted his fifth-tier group in a tweet without delay after the very last whistle.

“So proud of those boys. And the 4,000 plus away supporters who gave it all,” he wrote.

Second within the National League, 3 factors in the back of Notts County with games in hand, Wrexham’s main ambition this campaign is securing a go back to fourth tier for the primary time on account that 2008.

But the FA Cup has constantly been an exciting diversion for the north Wales membership, who famously knocked out Arsenal and West Ham in previous years.

Only a stoppage-time United equaliser had denied Wrexham after they drew 3-3 in January and Phil Parkinson’s facet acquitted themselves nicely once more.”Obviously we’re disappointed we have not long past via but seeing how the Sheffield United players and personnel celebrated at full time is a mark of the way we driven them,” Parkinson said.

“There are so many positives for us to take into the second 1/2 of the season.”

United took the lead inside the 50th minute as Ahmedhodzic exchanged passes with James McAtee before sweeping into the roof of the net from a tight attitude inside the six-yard container.

Wrexham drew stage in arguable fashion after fifty eight minutes whilst a tug on Mullin changed into ruled a penalty despite the fact that replays showed the offence occurred simply outdoor the area.

Mullin smashed within the spot-kick in the front of 4,000 jubilant Wrexham fans for his twenty ninth purpose this season.

If Wrexham’s first penalty was dubious, there has been no question about their second within the 72nd minute when Oliver Norwood’s rash lunge on Mullin sent the striker crashing to the turf.

But this time Mullin fluffed his strains from the spot as Wales goalkeeper Adam Davies plunged to his proper to make the save.

Sharp made Mullin pay for that omit as he cleverly labored area to slot domestic from 12 yards inside the fourth minute of stoppage-time.

With Wrexham stretched looking for an equaliser, Berge clipped in their 1/3 aim in the very last seconds.

“I could not be more proud of those men than I am right now. They gave it simply the entirety,” McElhenney tweeted.

Sharp became much less enamoured with the Wrexham tale, including: “I wasn’t happy with a few of their gamers.

“The manner they have been as a club, eyeing up Spurs. They had now not even beaten us. I’ve got a smile on my face now.”

Elsewhere in Tuesday’s fourth-spherical replay movement, League Two aspect Grimsby earned a ride to Premier League strugglers Southampton.

The Mariners’ wonder 3-zero win against Luton, who sit down fourth inside the Championship, moved them into the ultimate sixteen for the first time because 1996.

Championship leaders Burnley wanted a stoppage-time winner from Nathan Tella — his second intention of the game – to seal a 2-1 victory against third-tier Ipswich at Turf Moor.

Burnley’s fifth-spherical warring parties are third-tier Fleetwood, who gained 1-zero towards League One leaders Sheffield Wednesday.