Steve Parkin: Wrexham must cut out the need for late winning goals

Posted Wednesday, October 25, 2023 by PA

Wrexham assistant Steve Parkin hailed his side’s resilience and belief to go to the end as they scored a last-gasp winner in the 2-1 victory against Sutton.

Paul Mullin’s fantastic early finish put the Red Dragons ahead at the Racecourse before Aiden O’Brien equalised after the break, but substitute Elliot Lee struck just before full-time to ensure Wrexham crept into Sky Bet League Two’s top three.

Wrexham have made a habit of scoring late goals this season and Parkin was a relieved man after the latest one, though he hopes they do not end up relying on it as the campaign progresses.

He said: “I think they believe in the dressing room that they go right to whatever it may be, the 100th minute if necessary, and I think they always feel as though they’re going to have a chance.

“The resilience to keep the ball in the box and keep it alive was there for everybody to see, but I think the key thing is we don’t want to be relying on that all the time, and we have already relied on it quite a bit this season, but at the end of the day there’s loads of different ways to get three points and we’ll take it.

“We got the early goal which we needed, never really capitalised on that but had some good play, some good patient play without creating the chances that we wanted to.

“To come up with such a quality goal at the end to get the points for us was a big relief.”

Sutton boss Matt Gray cut a disappointed figure after conceding late on, but believes a throw-in in the build-up to Lee’s strike went against his side.

He said: “It’s a blatant throw-in to us in about the 88th minute and everyone in the ground I believe knows it’s our throw and he gives it to them and it puts them right back on the front foot again.

“It goes against you and it’s a real key moment for me at a big stage of the game that I’m just gutted hasn’t gone for us because the lads are just getting a second wind and ready to go again.

“I was very pleased with the performance, there were so many good things, so many positives, but unfortunately late heartbreak and it’s very hard to take.

“My players have been absolutely superb, run through a brick wall, put their bodies on the line, showed some real moments of quality as well. We were thoroughly in the game and to get done at the end, I just feel gutted for them and disappointed we haven’t at least got a point.”