West Brom score twice late to stun Wrexham 2-1
Key takeaways
- West Brom beat Wrexham 2-1 at the Racecourse on Oct 13. They scored twice in the last 11 minutes.
- Kieffer Moore put Wrexham ahead with a long-range strike. Isaac Price levelled, then Aune Heggebo won it.
- The win lifted West Brom back into the play-off places. Wrexham have won only twice in 10 league games.
West Bromwich Albion beat Wrexham 2-1 on Tuesday night. The win came at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham. West Brom scored twice in five minutes near the end.
Around 20,000 people searched for the standings after the game.
Wrexham looked set for a big win. Kieffer Moore scored a superb goal from long range. The home fans were loud.
The team was in front with 11 minutes left.
Then West Brom turned the game. Isaac Price scored the equaliser. Aune Heggebo scored the winner five minutes later.
Both players came alive at the perfect time.
The Championship is the second tier of English football. It sits below the Premier League. The top two teams go up at the end of the season.
Teams in third to sixth place enter the play-offs. Those play-offs decide one more promotion spot.
What happened
The first half was quiet. Neither side made many clear chances. Wrexham had the first shot.
George Dobson shot straight at goalkeeper Max O'Leary. That was an easy save.
Wrexham's main threat came from set-pieces. A set-piece is a free kick or a corner. Kieffer Moore was the main target.
He is tall and strong in the air. He met a Ben Whiteman corner after 18 minutes. The ball was slightly behind him.
It looped over the bar.
The same pair linked up again soon after. Moore headed a Whiteman cross. The ball hit a team-mate and drifted wide.
Wrexham could not find the net before half time.
West Brom played neat passing football. They kept the ball for long spells. But they made little at the sharp end.
A slick move nearly opened Wrexham up. Anthony Patterson rushed off his line. He smothered the ball at the feet of Barney Stewart.
To smother means to dive on the ball and claim it.
West Brom's Rabby Nzingoula was booked before half time. He made a rash challenge on Issa Kabore. The foul happened right in front of Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson.
It clearly angered the home manager.
Moore went close in the last act of the first half. Whiteman's delivery was on point. O'Leary got a hand to a thunderous header.
The ball hit Price on the goal line. It looped up for O'Leary to collect. The half ended 0-0.
West Brom showed more intent after the break. Price volleyed straight at Patterson. George Campbell clipped the crossbar with a header.
The game was still waiting for its first goal.
Then Moore lit it up. He picked up the ball 30 yards from goal. He found the top corner with a sublime strike.
Sublime means beautiful and perfect. O'Leary had no chance. Wrexham led 1-0.
The goal raised hopes of back-to-back home wins for the first time since February.
But West Brom did not give up. They levelled 11 minutes from time. Jimmy-Jay Morgan crossed from the wing.
The ball deflected into the path of Price. Price finished with calm skill. The score was 1-1 in the 79th minute.
Five minutes later, West Brom won it. Price found Heggebo. Heggebo was a late substitute, like Morgan.
He punished slack marking. He scored from eight yards. The away fans went wild.
The final score was 2-1.
It was a dramatic late revival. West Brom had lost derby games to Wolves and Birmingham before this match. This win stopped that poor run.
It was their first win after two straight defeats.
Why it matters
The win lifted West Brom back into the play-off places. That is a big step. The play-off places are spots three to six.
They give a team a chance to reach the Premier League. West Brom are back in that fight.
The manner of the win matters too. West Brom were behind with 11 minutes left. They were away from home.
The crowd was against them. They still found a way to win. That shows character.
Character means mental strength under pressure.
Boss James Morrison praised his team after the game. He said the players showed effort and fight. He said they were brave with the ball.
He said they controlled the game for long spells. He said they stuck to the game plan. He said keeping the ball wore Wrexham down.
Morrison also praised his substitutes. He said the subs changed the game. Morgan set up the equaliser.
Heggebo scored the winner. He said Heggebo answered like a good striker. He said he was pleased for him and for the whole dressing room.
Morrison called the win massive. He said it came after a hard spell. He said the team had found its rhythm again.
He said the result could keep the ball rolling.
For Wrexham, the loss hurts. They had won their last home game against Southampton in the last minute. This time, the shoe was on the other foot.
They lost late at home. Boss Phil Parkinson said his team got done by two sucker punch goals. A sucker punch is a blow you do not see coming.
Parkinson said his team was in a brilliant position. He said Moore's goal was fit to win any game. He said the loss hurts.
He said the team must pick itself up and go again.
Wrexham have now won only twice in 10 league games. That is a poor return for a team that pushed for promotion last season. The pressure on Parkinson is growing.
The fixture is also a rare one. This was only the fifth senior meeting between the clubs. Wrexham's only win came in an FA Cup tie in January 1930.
West Brom have now won again.
What happens next
West Brom play Blackburn at home on Saturday. Morrison said his team must finish the week well. A second win in a row would build real momentum.
Momentum means a run of good results that builds belief.
Wrexham must bounce back at the weekend. Parkinson said the team must pull together. He said they must batten down the hatches.
That means stay strong and stay united. He said they must come out strong as a group.
For fans checking the standings, the picture is clear. West Brom are back in the play-off places. Wrexham are still hunting for form.
One five-minute spell changed both stories.
Read how Birmingham crushed Preston 4-0. See how Bolton stunned Wolves 3-1 at Molineux. Check Millwall's 1-0 win over Swansea.
Two goals in five minutes changed everything. Wrexham were close to a big win. West Brom left with all three points.
That is why this result is trending today.
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