wrexham Saturday faced disappointment in playoff qualification as they were leapfrogged by promotion rivals Hull City on a dramatic final day of the Championship season.
The Welsh club, owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac, started the day inside the top six on goal difference, but their 2–2 home draw with Middlesbrough meant Hull City’s 2–1 win over Norwich City allowed Wrexham to miss out on qualification for the playoffs by two points.
Wrexham, who were aiming for a fourth consecutive promotion which would see them play in Premier League The following season the club finished seventh in the Championship table.
At STōK Cae Ras, Wrexham came from behind to lead Middlesbrough in a four-goal first half upset. David StrelecA goal for the visitors in the 43rd minute ensured that the teams were level at the break. Despite a tightly contested second half, both teams missed chances, with Wrexham’s Ollie Rathbone having his strike saved early in the half and Josh Windass also having a blast in the latter stages of the contest.
Wrexham’s frustration was compounded by the fact that Hull’s winning goal, scored by Ollie McBurnie in the 67th minute, looked as if it should have been ruled out due to a narrow offside.
Despite the disappointment of the last day, it was still a memorable campaign for Wrexham in their first season in the second tier since the 1980s.
Seventh place marks the club’s highest finish in its 162-year history, better than 15th in the second tier in the 1978–79 season.
Nevertheless, the short-term pain would be intense, and Wrexham’s players sat on the ground after the final whistle and looked dejected.
Ipswich promoted, Championship playoff places sealed
It wouldn’t be the final day of the Championship without a dramatic finale, but it was a comfortable enough afternoon for Ipswich as they secured a return to the Premier League at the first time of asking.
Goals from George Hurst, Jayden Philogen and Casey McAteer put QPR in a strong position with nothing left to play for. Cue the invasion of the pitch at Portman Road as scenes of excitement were greeted at full time.
Coming into the game, Ipswich knew their fate was in their own hands – win and they were on top. And it unfolded in similar fashion as Middlesbrough’s draw at Wrexham and Millwall’s win over Oxford United ultimately became irrelevant as Kieran McKenna’s side joined Coventry in the Premier League.
Boro’s draw in Wales saw them drop to fifth and also lose home advantage in the playoffs.
For a team that seemed unable to move up with Coventry for so much of this season, fifth place after the final day would be disappointing for Boro. But as is the lottery of the playoffs, all could soon be forgotten if they win at Wembley later this month.
Millwall finished just one point behind the Automatics in third and Hull will have two cracks as they attempt to reach the Premier League for the first time. Boro will face Southampton in the other semi-final in the championship’s most famous five-match tie.
EFL promotion and relegation
championship
Champions:coventry
Promoted: ipswich
Playoffs: millwall, middlesbrough, southampton, hull
Deprecated: Sheffield Wednesday, Leicester, Oxford
league one
Champions: lincoln
Promoted: cardiff
Deprecated: Northampton, Rotherham, Port Vale
league two
Promoted: Bromley, MK Dons
National League
Promoted: new york
Deprecated: Truro, Braintree, Morecambe, Brackley
Information from the Associated Press contributed to this story.
