Wrexham’s 5-5 draw with Swindon this weekend continued their remarkable trend for high-scoring games since their takeover by Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds.
The actors have brought a Hollywood feel to the club on their rise from the National League, with blockbuster finishes and scorelines to stretch credulity.
Here, the PA news agency looks at Wrexham’s most outlandish storylines in recent seasons.
Serial dramaThe end of the 2020-21 season gave a taste of things to come, beating Boreham Wood 3-2 and King’s Lynn 5-3 as they just missed the play-offs. After the takeover they averaged 2.54 total goals per game (scored plus conceded).
A promotion push in 2021-22 saw Wrexham score in all but six of their 54 games in all competitions, with an average of 3.20 total goals in each.
Having finished second behind Stockport, the final heartbreak was delivered in a 5-4 play-off defeat after extra time as Grimsby’s Luke Waterfall scored a 119th-minute winner.
Last season they won the National League with a record 111 points but were pushed by Notts County, whose 117 goals bettered Wrexham by one as both eclipsed Hereford’s previous record of 103.
The goals per game in Wrexham’s fixtures across all competitions – including an FA Cup run in which striker Paul Mullin finished as the competition’s top scorer – increased to 3.64.
It is currently at 5.20 this season – or 6.50 for their four League Two games, where they have both scored and conceded 13 with no other team above 10 in either category.
Goals galoreOf Wrexham’s 152 competitive games since the takeover, almost a quarter (35) have seen five or more goals.
There have been nine, and five this year alone, in which both teams have scored three times or more.
Those include beating relegated Dover 6-5 in March 2022 and Barnet 7-5 in October of that year, while Wrexham have won five and lost only two of the nine.
The latest against Swindon led Reynolds to tweet “So much heart” as both he and McElhenney stressed never to leave a game early, and James Jones and Elliot Lee’s stoppage-time goals to salvage a point added to their record of vital late strikes.
The 11-goal Dover thriller saw Jordan Davies score twice in stoppage time to complete a comeback from 5-2 down, and Mullin’s late penalty saw off Eastleigh 3-2 two weeks later.
They have scored nine and conceded seven goals in the 90th minute and beyond since the takeover – which does not even include Waterfall’s effort for Grimsby.
Farewell FosterEven by Hollywood standards, Ben Foster’s short character arc is an unlikely one.
The old hand brought out of retirement for one final mission, former Watford and England goalkeeper Foster produced the highlight of the promotion chase with a stoppage-time penalty save to secure April’s vital win over County.
After 13 league goals conceded already this season, though, the 40-year-old has abruptly and emotionally retired once more.
The EFL’s data provider Opta lists Wrexham with 3.20 expected goals against this season, excluding penalties. They have shipped 10 from those chances, in addition to James Tilley’s spot-kick for AFC Wimbledon and a pair of own goals.
“Sometimes you’ve got to be brutally honest with yourself and admit you can’t really do what you used to do,” Foster said on Instagram.
“I feel like there’s probably been about four or five goals already this season that I should be saving, goals are going in and I’m thinking ‘how haven’t you saved that?'”
Montero hails Juventus fight as stunning comeback denies Bologna
Interim Juventus boss Paolo Montero praised his players' fight after they recovered from 3-0 down in the final 14 minutes to claim a 3-3 draw against Bologna in Serie A on Monday.
Juventus sacked Massimiliano Allegri last week in the aftermath of their Coppa Italia final victory over Atalanta, citing his fiery behaviour as a major factor in their decision.
On Monday, they came up against the man tipped to replace him in Bologna coach Thiago Motta, who saw his team race into a 3-0 lead within 53 minutes.
However, Federico Chiesa's 76th-minute effort kickstarted a stunning turnaround, with Arkadiusz Milik's free-kick soon after teeing up a grandstand finale.
Kenan Yildiz then scored an 84th-minute equaliser as the Bianconeri avoided defeat after trailing by three goals for the first time in their Serie A history.
While they have drawn each of their last six league games and could slip outside the top four on the final matchday, Montero believes they deserve credit for their efforts.
"In my view, the draw was the fair result," Montero told DAZN.
"The victory on Wednesday was important, mentally it drained them and to come here against one of the best teams at the moment like Bologna, you are going to struggle.
"After that dip in mentality, they fought back with pride and showed how much they care about the shirt."
Sargent earns recall as Pulisic, Balogun and Adams headline USA's preliminary Copa America squad
United States coach Gregg Berhalter has named a 27-man preliminary squad ahead of the Copa America.
Josh Sargent, the Norwich City forward, has earned a recall to the USA squad for the upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Colombia, and is set to feature for his country for the first time since 2022.
With first-choice right-back Sergino Dest injured, meanwhile, Berhalter has turned to Nashville SC's Shaq Moore in defence.
Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Matt Turner, Weston McKennie and Brendan Aaronson are among the established names to feature.
Former Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun, who opted to represent the USA rather than England, has also made the cut, as has Coventry City's Haji Wright, who has had a strong season in England's second tier.
Berhalter explained Sargent had been called up to give him another option in attack, with Wright seen primarily as a wide option.
"Between their club form and what they've done for the national team in the past, we think it's a talented group of strikers," he said.
Giovanni Reyna, the 21-year-old Borussia Dortmund attacker who has been on loan at Nottingham Forest since January, has also been included, despite a feud between Berhalter and the playmaker's family in the wake of the World Cup.
Antonee Robinson has had another impressive season with Fulham, and has been called up alongside club-mate Tim Ream.
Former Manchester City goalkeeper Zack Steffen was a notable omission, as were MLS stars Jesus Ferreira and Jordan Morris.
"This summer presents an opportunity for us to progress and grow as a team as we continue to build towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup," Berhalter said.
"We have a talented group of players and are excited about the opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in the world."
Berhalter will cut down his squad after the friendlies, with Copa hosts USA taking on Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia in Group C.
Sargent earns recall as Pulisc, Balogun and Adams headline USA's preliminary Copa America squad
United States coach Gregg Berhalter has named a 27-man preliminary squad ahead of the Copa America.
Josh Sargent, the Norwich City forward, has earned a recall to the USA squad for the upcoming friendlies against Brazil and Colombia, and is set to feature for his country for the first time since 2022.
With first-choice right-back Sergino Dest injured, meanwhile, Berhalter has turned to Nashville SC's Shaq Moore in defence.
Christian Pulisic, Tyler Adams, Matt Turner, Weston McKennie and Brendan Aaronson are among the established names to feature.
Former Arsenal forward Folarin Balogun, who opted to represent the USA rather than England, has also made the cut, as has Coventry City's Haji Wright, who has had a strong season in England's second tier.
Berhalter explained Sargent had been called up to give him another option in attack, with Wright seen primarily as a wide option.
"Between their club form and what they've done for the national team in the past, we think it's a talented group of strikers," he said.
Giovanni Reyna, the 21-year-old Borussia Dortmund attacker who has been on loan at Nottingham Forest since January, has also been included, despite a feud between Berhalter and the playmaker's family in the wake of the World Cup.
Antonee Robinson has had another impressive season with Fulham, and has been called up alongside club-mate Tim Ream.
Former Manchester City goalkeeper Zack Steffen was a notable omission, as were MLS stars Jesus Ferreira and Jordan Morris.
"This summer presents an opportunity for us to progress and grow as a team as we continue to build towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup," Berhalter said.
"We have a talented group of players and are excited about the opportunity to compete against some of the best teams in the world."
Berhalter will cut down his squad after the friendlies, with Copa hosts USA taking on Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia in Group C.
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