Wrexham’s 1-0 victory over Swindon Town on 26 December 2023 puts them in the second spot in EFL League Two, as their winger James McClean’s strike in the 13th minute, which was his first league goal for the Dragons, led the visitors straight to their victory.
The team, co-owned by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, is now four points behind leaders Stockport County, who drew 2-2 in their recent match against fourth-placed Barrow.
The team now extends their Christmas cheer as they reach ever so close to their promotion due to their third victory in a row in the current season of the league.
Wrexham will travel to Walsall on 29 December to conclude their 2023 football run before hosting a match against Barrow on New Year’s Day.
REPORT | Swindon Town 0-1 Wrexham AFC
🔘 Spirited ten-man Red Dragons hold on to claim Boxing Day victory
🔴⚪️ #WxmAFC
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) December 26, 2023
A Very Important Victory
In the Boxing Day match, McClean and Andy Cannon managed to threaten the visitors, while James Jones, Elliot Lee, and Cannon came within a whisker of doubling their lead, but the Red Dragons were unable to execute the setup as Swindon started to gain momentum in the game.
Then, with 16 minutes remaining, Jones was sent off for a second yellow card as the Robins attempted to pull even. However, the initial goal proved to be more than enough for the Red Dragons to maintain their domination over Fulham throughout the match.
Wrexham’s manager, Phil Parkinson, said, “It’s an outstanding win for us. We had other chances to kill the game. In the second half, the kid (Lewis Ward) pulled off some great saves.”
He celebrated with the players as he further explained, “We just got on with the job today, and it’s a magnificent win for us. It’s a really important three points for us on our travels, especially with the disruption we had to face”, referring to the ten-man team.
What is EFL League Two?
The English Football League Two, also referred to as League Two in England and Sky Bet League Two for sponsorship purposes, is the fourth-highest tier overall in the English football league system and the third and lowest division of the English Football League (EFL).
First introduced for the 2004–05 English football season, Football League Two was rebranded from the Football League Third Division, which was itself a rebranding of the now-defunct Football League Fourth Division before the Premier League was established in 1992.
In this division, 24 clubs are present who play a total of 46 games per season, as each club plays every other club twice (once at home and once away). Wins earn three points, draws earn one point, while losses earn no points, and these points are used to create a league table.
The four teams that ranked worst in the upper tier are replaced by the top three teams of League Two, who are promoted to EFL League One at the end of each season, along with the winner of the play-offs between the teams that ended in fourth through seventh place.
Similar to this, the two League Two teams that placed last are demoted and replaced by the first of the National League and the team that won the play-off amongst the second through seventh place in that division.
As of the 2022-23 season, Mansfield Town and Newport County, who were both promoted in the 2012–13 season, have been in the League Two division for the longest time. Three previous Premier League teams are now demoted and playing in this division: MK Dons (formerly Wimbledon 1992–2000), Swindon Town (1993–94), and Bradford City (1999–2001).
