Wrexham sit in second place in League One with two games left in the season and are on the hunt for promotion to the Championship
Wrexham take on Carlton in a crucial battle in League One on Saturday, with both teams still very much in the search to win automatic promotion to the Championship.
The Red Dragons are in a strong position to earn an unprecedented third successive promotion as they chart an upward course in England’s soccer pyramid, currently sitting second with 86 points and two games to go in the League One season. Wrexham are not the only team in the mix for that automatic promotion spot, though – Charlton are just four points behind them in fourth place and face a must-win game if they want to finish inside the top two.
Both sides will be equally motivated not to be in spots three to six on the table, where a ticket to the Championship next season is still available but more complicated. Those teams will take part in the promotion playoffs, the final of which will take place on May 25 at London’s Wembley Stadium.
Here’s what you need to know ahead of the game.
How to watch Wrexham vs. Charlton, odds
- Date: Saturday, April 26 | Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Racecourse Ground — Wrexham, Wales
- Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Wrexham +125; Draw +220; Charlton +230
Last meeting
These two last played in October in a back-and-forth game that ended 2-2. Wrexham scored first thanks to an own goal from Conor Coventry in the 16th minute but Charlton had their equalizer seven minutes later courtesy of Macaulay Gillesphey. Andy Cannon gave Wrexham a 2-1 lead in the 72nd minute but Matt Godden converted a penalty in the 97th minute to ensure the teams would share the points.
What Wrexham are saying
Promotion has been on the minds of many at Wrexham for weeks now and with them inching closer and closer to the feat, the celebratory feeling has been hard to ignore. See for example Monday’s win at Blackpool – the club’s famous co-owner, actor Rob McElhenney, joined 2,000 travelling fans for the game and was spotted celebrating alongside them as the Red Dragons collected another crucial win. He also spoke to the team the day before, much to the players’ delight.
“I’ve always said this is a team effort,” manager Phil Parkinson said after the win in Blackpool. “Rob was with the lads (on Sunday) and he did a great talk with the lads about what his feeling was in this situation. The lads loved that. This is what I mean by the togetherness that has taken us this far.”
Parkinson hopes that feeling of togetherness is a main feature on Saturday, when Wrexham play at home with promotion within reach.
“It’s brilliant – the support was good today,” Parkinson said. “I want more of the same next week from the supporters at home. I’ve got to be honest with you, I want that place bouncing – these lads deserve it. We’ve come a long, long way this season. We’ve shaken off a lot of big clubs in this division. We need everybody in the ground to create an atmosphere and get the Racecourse bouncing to help the team as much as we can.”
What Charlton are saying
While Wrexham are embracing the celebratory feel of a nearly-complete promotion run, Charlton are trying to keep things as routine as possible. They may be in the midst of a six game unbeaten run including Monday’s 4-0 win over Wycombe Wanderers, but manager Nathan Jones is trying to approach things one game at a time with Charlton facing a must-win game on Saturday. It’s in stark contrast to the Red Dragons’ vibe, which Jones described as a “circus.”
“All we do is take a game as it comes,” Jones said on Monday after the Wycombe game. “We are not looking at the playoffs, we are not looking at Burton at home on the final game. We’ll finish, we’ll debrief, we’ll breathe a little bit and then we’ll move forward with Wrexham. It’s a bumper game, we have to go to the circus and see what we can get.”
Predicted lineups
Wrexham: Arthur Okonkwo, Max Cleworth, Dan Scarr, Lewis Brunt, Ryan Longman, George Dobson, Matty James, Oliver Rathbone, James McClean, Jay Rodriguez, Sam Smith
Charlton: Will Mannion, Kayne Ramsay, Lloyd Jones, Macaulay Gillesphey, Josh Edwards, Conor Coventry, Greg Docherty, Thierry Small, Luke Berry, Tyreece Campbell, Matt Godden
Player to watch
Ryan Bennett, Wrexham: One of the Red Dragons’ strengths this season is that goals and assists have come from multiple different sources, but Ryan Bennett’s nine assists this season has him leading the pack in that category and makes him someone to keep an eye on in Saturday’s game. With promotion within grasp, expect Bennett to play a big role against Charlton.
Storyline to watch
Wrexham’s promotion hunt: A spot in the Championship is well within grasp at this point for Wrexham and the scenario is fairly straightforward, too – beat Charlton on Saturday and root for Wycombe Wanderers to drop points against Leyton Orient earlier that day. If both things happen, the Red Dragons will be competing in England’s second division next season.
Prediction
A high-stakes match like this one could bring the perfect amount of drama for an end-of-season clash, so hopes are high that this is an entertaining one. Though a win at home feels like the fairytale ending for Wrexham’s latest promotion campaign, Charlton is as formidable a foe as any and could throw a wrench in the Red Dragons’ plans. A draw will not doom Wrexham’s promotion campaign but it feels like a fitting result for two competitive and motivated teams. Pick: Wrexham 1, Charlton 1
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