Wrexham’s title push dented by defeat to Halifax

Posted Saturday, April 08, 2023 by PA

Milli Alli fired a brilliant double as Halifax dealt Wrexham’s National League title hopes a blow with a deserved 3-1 win at The Shay.

Elliot Lee gave Wrexham a half-time lead but Alli equalised at the start of the second period and rifled home a superb second before Mani Dieseruvwe added a late third.

Around 4,500 Wrexham fans made the trip from north Wales to swell a bumper Bank Holiday crowd to 7,863 but the Shaymen ripped up the script, knocking the Welsh side off top spot and halting their 28-game unbeaten league run.

Wrexham slipped to second in the table, behind title rivals Notts County on goal difference, after their first league defeat since early October.

Phil Parkinson’s side face the Magpies at the Racecourse Ground on Monday as both sides bid to close in on Crawley’s record National League points tally of 105.

Halifax, who booked a date at Wembley in the FA Trophy final last week with a penalty shootout win against Altrincham, fell behind in the 32nd minute.

Lee drilled a low left-footed shot into the bottom corner, which extended Wrexham’s goals tally for the season to 106, a league record they now share with Notts County following their 3-0 win against Wealdstone.

Jordan Tunnicliffe’s header struck the crossbar for the visitors shortly before the interval but the Shaymen hit back at the start of the second period when Alli fired low inside the far post.

Halifax goalkeeper Sam Johnson and Wrexham’s former England number one Ben Foster both pulled off brilliant saves – from Jamie Jones and Jamie Cooke respectively – to keep the scores level.

Alli then fired the home side into a 71st-minute lead, tricking his way past his marker in the area and burying another low shot into the far corner, before setting up Dieseruvwe to steer home Halifax’s third from six yards with five minutes remaining.