A glorious string of results across Matchday 44 saw Wrexham get back in the playoff places, largely thanks to their 1–0 victory over Oxford United.
The Red Dragons had previously only won one of their last five league fixtures before getting their campaign back on track at the weekend against Stoke City. Off the back of that seismic win, Phil Parkinson’s men returned to action midweek and left Oxford with all three points.
Josh Windass’s goal was the difference between the two sides, and could ultimately be the difference in the race for the Championship playoffs, considering Wrexham’s biggest competitors, Hull City and Derby County, both dropped points on Tuesday evening.
Only two fixtures remain for each of the three teams all battling for the final playoff spot, and unfortunately for Wrexham, they face the toughest road ahead at the most critical point of the season.
Wrexham Standings: EFL Championship Table After 44 Games
| Place | Team | Points | Games Played |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coventry City | 89 | 44 |
| 2 | Millwall | 79 | 44 |
| 3 | Ipswich Town | 76 | 42 |
| 4 | Southampton | 76 | 44 |
| 5 | Middlesbrough | 73 | 43 |
| 6 | Wrexham | 70 | 44 |
| 7 | Hull City | 70 | 44 |
| 8 | Derby County | 66 | 44 |
Wrexham moved up into sixth place after their win on Tuesday, moving Hull—who only managed a 2–2 draw with Leicester City—down to seventh. The two teams are level on 70 points through 44 games, but the Red Dragons have a +6 goal difference to the Tigers’ +4.
Derby also stumbled midweek, falling 2–1 to Norwich City. The Rams are now four points off sixth place with only two matches remaining, which means their odds of overtaking both Wrexham and Hull are slim at best.
Middlesbrough, meanwhile, have a game in hand and likely remain out of reach despite currently only sitting three points ahead of Wrexham.
Hull, Wrexham and Derby’s Remaining Championship Fixtures
| Hull City (6th, 69 points) | Wrexham (7th, 67 points) | Derby (8th, 66 points) |
|---|---|---|
| Charlton vs. Hull (April 25) | Coventry vs. Wrexham (April 26) | QPR vs. Derby (April 25) |
| Hull vs. Norwich (May 2) | Wrexham vs. Middlesbrough (May 2) | Derby vs. Sheffield Utd (May 2) |
Wrexham have two treacherous matches to close out the season. First they must travel to Coventry to take on Frank Lampard’s already-promoted side before they return home to face off with playoff contenders Middlesbrough.
The Red Dragons will hope to draw some confidence from their October triumph over Coventry, but they have a mountain to climb if they want to once again secure three points against the Sky Blues, who have only lost one of their last 14 matches.
Middlesbrough is an easier hurdle, but not by much. The good news for Parkinson’s men, though, is that their final opponents have dropped points in their last seven matches and no longer look as dangerous as they did for a majority of the season.
Hull City, meanwhile, have what should be a routine match against 20th-place Charlton before they conclude the season at home against Norwich. The Canaries are more than capable of giving Sergej Jakirović’s men some trouble—just ask Derby County.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as How Wrexham’s Remaining Fixtures Compare to Playoff Rivals After Critical Oxford Utd Win.
