Someone needs to tell Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney that football isn’t really like this at all. Actually, scrub that, because Ben Foster already has!
The former England goalkeeper - who came out of retirement at the age of 40 to join this astonishing Wrexham story - produced a moment he described as the best of his illustrious career to write a fantasy finale to a titanic game which even Hollywood would surely shy away from.
With his side leading 3-2 and set to go back to the top of the National League table, their great title rivals Notts County were awarded a penalty in the sixth and last minute of stoppage time. A point was enough to keep them as leaders…and favourites to take the single automatic promotion spot.
Foster only returned to playing because it was Wrexham - the place where he made his name at the start his career, after being spotted playing for the Welsh club by Sir Alex Ferguson. The keeper turned down an offer to join Newcastle, and he knew what it meant to the club, after a 15-year absence from the Football League.
So this was his moment. And as County sub Cedwyn Scott stepped up and fired a firm spot kick, Foster plunged to his right to beat the ball away…and send a packed Racecourse Ground into raptures. It left Reynolds and McElhenney in tears, and Foster revealed the emotion in afterwards at his heroics.
“They came into the dressing room and were just buzzing…Rob kissed me on the lips and Ryan called me a double handsome b****** - I’ll take that! They’re over the moon, and I said you’d better end the documentary now, because you’ll never get a better game of football than that, no matter how many you go to. They’re probably worn out along with everyone else now.”
It was a truly epic moment in a monumental contest. There have been few better games at any level this season, with Foster serious about it being one of his best ever, despite a stellar career.
“That’s about as good as it gets. The performance was phenomenal - what a performance, I was playing in the game and I was buzzing off it,” he said. “That was honestly as good as it gets, I can not remember playing in any better football matches, honestly.”
County played their part, taking the lead through John Bostock’s superb free kick in an impressive first half, before Wrexham’s star striker Paul Mullin scored a brilliant goal and assisted two more for Jacob Mendy and Elliott Lee. The visitors had levelled Mendy’s goal, thanks to a Kyle Cameron header, and had the chance to level with the last kick of the game after Eoghan O’Connell’s handball.
But Foster intervened, though he admitted afterwards: “I made the save and I had cramp in my calf, but I still had the corner to come, and I was saying ‘don’t get cramp now - the game’s not over’. What a time to get it - but I am 40 years old.
“I normally call out keepers who celebrate saving penalties, but I couldn’t help celebrating because it meant so much. It was billed as the biggest game ever in non-league football and they’re usually rubbish with that build up, but this was an incredible game, it was so enjoyable playing in it.”
Foster’s save and Mullin’s heroics put Wrexham top with four games to play…and just four points away from the all time highest points total in English football history. This isn’t just football - it’s a genuine fairytale.
