Parkinson insists Wrexham’s Premier League dream ‘still alive’ after Oxford win

Wrexham move back into playoff places with narrow win at Oxford
Josh Windass continues scoring run with decisive first-half goal
Promotion hopes hinge on final games against Coventry and Middlesbrough

There is no noise coming out of Wrexham, just quiet belief. The sort that builds over a season rather than appears overnight.

A 1-0 win away at Oxford United has pushed them back into the Championship playoff places. Not comfortable, not secure, but very much alive.

Phil Parkinson kept it simple afterwards. “The dream is still alive,” he said. No exaggeration, no drama. Just a statement of fact.

It came down to a moment. Josh Windass, in form and full of confidence, scored five minutes before half-time. His fifth in six games. That kind of run matters at this stage.

Wrexham controlled the first half. Patient, measured, waiting for the opening. They found it.

The second half was different. Oxford, fighting to stay up, threw everything forward. Long balls, set pieces, bodies in the box. The final 20 minutes, in particular, were about resilience rather than control.

Parkinson did not shy away from that.

“We showed two sides to our game,” he said. “We had control, then we had to defend.”

And they did. Properly. As a team.

Seventy points in a first Championship season is no small return. It gives them a chance, nothing more, but that is all they need heading into the final fixtures.

Games against Coventry City and Middlesbrough will decide it. Tough on paper, exactly the kind of tests that define whether a season becomes something bigger.

For now, Wrexham are still in it. That, at this point, is everything.

WRITTEN BY

Hailey

Hailey Russell is a football journalist and former Division 1 collegiate athlete in the United States, bringing a unique blend of elite playing experience and professional insight to her work. Currently competing at the professional level in Europe, Hailey combines first-hand knowledge of the modern game with sharp analysis across match reports, player development, and tactical breakdowns.