Wrexham fall short in thrilling FA Cup, but promotion the bigger prize in sight

They accidental the sequel ne'er rather lives up to the original, but that benignant of logic doesn't use to Wrexham AFC.

Hollywood prima owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney mightiness person preferred a antithetic ending to the club's FA Cup 4th circular replay against Sheffield United connected Tuesday, but determination was surely nary deficiency of play oregon hostility arsenic the team's cupful escapade yet ran retired of steam.

The past books volition grounds the result arsenic a 3-1 defeat astatine Bramall Lane against a Sheffield squad that sits successful 1 of the promotion spots from the EFL Championship to the Premier League, and it mightiness person been expected arsenic 72 places abstracted the 2 clubs successful the English shot pyramid. But the scoreline lone tells a fraction of the story.

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Nine days earlier, these 2 teams played retired 1 of the astir breathtaking FA Cup ties successful caller memory, with defender John Egan's equaliser six minutes into stoppage clip snatching a 3-3 gully for Sheffield United and denying Wrexham a spot successful the 5th circular and a necktie astatine location to Tottenham.

"It was similar a fever dream," Deadpool prima Reynolds told ESPN Sports Center erstwhile describing his emotions during the game. "It was genuinely 1 of the astir breathtaking 90 minutes I've ever had successful my full life."

Reynolds and McElhenney didn't marque it to Sheffield for Tuesday's replay, opting alternatively to ticker the crippled astatine location successful the United States, but the "anxiety" that Reynolds said helium experienced portion attending the archetypal crippled volition not person been immoderate little aggravated during the rematch.

The archetypal crippled had everything, and this 1 astir did arsenic well.

After Paul Mullin equalised from the punishment spot connected 60 minutes, 10 minutes aft Anel Ahmedhodzic had fixed United the lead, it looked arsenic though Wrexham were going to propulsion disconnected a large daze and publication a 5th circular against Harry Kane and Spurs. Wrexham squad played arsenic though they were United's equals, not a broadside that is warring conscionable to get onto the bottommost rung of the EFL ladder by winning promotion from the National League.

Mullin is the Erling Haaland of the National League, with the striker taking his tally for the play to 28 goals successful 34 appearances with his spot-kick. And erstwhile helium was fouled by Oliver Norwood for a 2nd punishment connected 71 minutes, it seemed inevitable that helium would enactment Wrexham ahead.

But aft firing his archetypal punishment consecutive down the middle, Mullin went to goalkeeper Rob Lainton's close and his changeable was saved. Just similar Kane for England against France successful the World Cup quarterfinal successful Qatar, Mullin discovered that taking 2 penalties successful 1 crippled doesn't ever extremity well.

It was a stroke for Wrexham, but erstwhile Mullin injured a thigh portion challenging United's Sander Berge moments later, it was perchance adjacent worse. Mullin had to beryllium substituted and the large interest would person been that their prima striker misses important games successful the club's conflict for promotion.

Mullin's wounded was dismissed aft the crippled by Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson arsenic nary much than cramp, but the little play of interest underlined wherefore this replay was not astatine the apical of either team's agenda.

So arrogant of these boys. And the 4000 positive distant supporters who gave it all. @Wrexham_AFC

Despite the prize astatine involvement -- that money-spinning, televised location gully against Tottenham -- the squad enactment by some managers suggested that this was a replay that neither was excessively funny successful winning.

United manager Paul Heckingbottom rested 3 first-choice players, including goalkeeper Wes Foderingham, portion Parkinson went adjacent further by making 7 changes to the broadside which started Saturday's 2-1 National League triumph astatine Altrincham.

With some clubs chasing promotion to their respective Promised Land -- United are connected people to beryllium promoted backmost to the Premier League, portion Wrexham's precedence is simply a instrumentality to the EFL for the archetypal clip since 2008 -- determination was a consciousness that this crippled was an unnecessary inconvenience.

For Wrexham, the large interest is simply a fixture pile-up caused by their unexpected FA Cup adventure. Parkinson's squad beryllium 3 points down leaders Notts County having played 2 games less than their closest promotion rivals and they could person erased the spread by beating Yeovil Town astatine location connected Tuesday, but that crippled had to beryllium postponed to accommodate the crippled against Sheffield United.

With fourth-place Chesterfield -- 1 of lone 2 teams to bushed Wrexham successful the league this play -- owed astatine the Racecourse Ground connected Feb. 28, the imaginable of that crippled besides being postponed successful bid to play Spurs 24 hours aboriginal was possibly a important origin successful Parkinson opting to remainder fractional a squad for this tie.

But nary substance who pulls connected the Wrexham shirt, determination is nary drop-off successful committedness and endeavour. Parkinson has a squad of players who are susceptible of performing mode supra the level they are operating astatine close present and United were taken each the way.

Just arsenic successful the archetypal game, United needed a extremity successful stoppage time. This time, United's Billy Sharp and Berge prevented the replay from going into extra-time and the anticipation of a punishment shoot-out.

So for the archetypal clip since October, Wrexham suffered defeat. Their 22-game unbeaten tally yet came to an extremity against a squad that will, barring an improbable collapse, beryllium a Premier League broadside adjacent season.

All that matters present for Wrexham is that they besides unafraid promotion this season. They volition inactive beryllium leagues isolated from Sheffield United, but implicit 180 minutes, they person played similar their equals. And they person fixed their Hollywood owners much play than they could ever person imagined astatine the aforesaid time.