Football Feb 27, 2026

Wrexham 5-3 Ipswich Town: Red Dragons hit back to win eight-goal thriller

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By Admin
Sports Journalist
Wrexham 5-3 Ipswich Town: Red Dragons hit back to win eight-goal thriller

Wrexham boosted their promotion hopes with a 5-3 victory over fellow high-fliers Ipswich in a crazy game at the Stok Cae Ras.

Eight days after Josh Windass' goal had decided the FA Cup fourth-round tie between the sides in Wrexham's favour, the goals flowed in North Wales.

Ipswich twice fought back to level in the first half, Anis Mehmeti and Ivan Azon cancelling out efforts from Kieffer Moore and Windass, and Cedric Kipre scored a stunner to put the visitors in front just after the break.

But George Thomason equalised with his first goal for Wrexham in the 66th minute and they produced a grandstand finish thanks to Callum Doyle and Nathan Broadhead.

The victory leaves Wrexham in sixth place in the Championship table, three points behind Ipswich in fourth.

Moore has struggled of late but, back in the starting line-up, it took him only six minutes to give the home side the lead, the big striker running onto Windass' flick-on and lashing the ball past Christian Walton from a tight angle.

It was a first goal since Boxing Day for the former Ipswich player and just reward for a strong start from Wrexham, who then lost Ben Sheaf to injury, with George Dobson coming on.

Ipswich levelled in the 20th minute after Arthur Okonkwo could only parry Jack Taylor's shot into the path of Mehmeti, who fired high into the net for his first Town goal since signing from Bristol City last month.

The home fans started to grow frustrated as Ipswich took the sting out of the game but, against the run of play, Wrexham scored again in the 37th minute.

Again the danger came down the left, with Thomason's shot well saved by Walton, but Moore crossed it back in and Windass threw his head at it to put the Welsh side back in front, while Leif Davis was booked after attempting to keep it out with his hand on the line.

Moore almost had another five minutes later after Thomason sent a ball fizzing across but he could not bundle it past Walton, and Doyle headed wide from the corner.

There was more frustration to come for Wrexham, though, as Taylor's neat flick split open the home defence, allowing Azon to calmly slot into the bottom corner.

And Ipswich were in front less than two minutes after the break thanks to a brilliant finish from Kipre, who met the ball just outside the box with a first-time effort into the top corner.

Thomason drew a save from Walton in the 58th minute and, from the resulting corner, Wrexham appealed strongly for a penalty after the keeper missed the ball and connected with the head of Doyle but, with the defender's header already looping over, referee Leigh Doughty gave a goal-kick.

Phil Parkinson sent on Broadhead and, with his first contribution, the forward created the equaliser. His shot was blocked but the ball fell for Thomason, who fired it first-time inside the near post.

The wind was now in Wrexham's sails again and the stadium erupted when Doyle headed them back into the lead from a corner 15 minutes from time.

The defender then prevented another equaliser by heading away substitute Marcelino Nunez's shot while Windass had an effort saved by Walton, but the game was settled by Broadhead's sweeping finish four minutes from time.

Wrexham's Phil Parkinson:

"We went to Bristol on Tuesday and Bristol hadn't had a weekend game. We've played Ipswich today, they didn't have a midweek game and they completely changed the team from the Friday.

"The magnitude of the effort and the commitment the lads have given us today, if ever there was a game our supporters should be proud of the team, it was today.

"I said to the lads at half-time, 'don't let the goal affect us'. I thought we were unlucky not to be ahead. And then lo and behold the centre-half smashes one in to make it 3-2.

"I think a lesser group of players could have started letting a bit of fatigue creep into them mentally but we didn't, we responded brilliantly, and that's a great effort from the lads."

Ipswich's Kieran McKenna:

"I'm really disappointed with the outcome, disappointed with ourselves.

"We've come away from home and scored three really good goals and it should be enough to win you the game, but we've conceded some really poor ones today and some clinical finishing from Wrexham.

"It's really frustrating because it was on the cusp of being a really good day for us with some of the qualities we've showed and ultimately the goals we've conceded, and mistakes we've made as a team and on an individual level have cost us the result we wanted."

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