Dragons fight back to keep hopes alive

WINDASS AND SMITH ON TARGET IN WREXHAM'S PROMOTION PUSH

- By IAN PARKER

WREXHAM came from behind to strengthen their Championship playoff hopes with a 2-1 win at Sheffield United.

The Red Dragons were second best in the first half and fell behind to an Andre Brooks goal in the 49th minute, but former Sheffield Wednesday striker Josh Windass soon levelled before Sam Smith headed in a 78th-minute winner.

The victory keeps Wrexham level on points with sixth-placed Southampton as they bounced back from Tuesday's 3-1 loss to Watford.

For United, a four-match winless run has left them 13 points from the top six with seven games left to play and any hopes of a late playoff push of their own are seemingly over.

Tuesday had been a second defeat in three for Wrexham, and the travelling supporters might have feared another as the Blades repeatedly cut them open in the first half.

The hosts should have been ahead 11 minutes in when a slip from Dom Hyam allowed Harrison Burrows to put the ball on a plate for an unmarked Patrick Bamford, but he somehow scuffed wide from seven yards out.

Burrows wasted the next chance himself, shooting narrowly wide on his weaker left foot from Callum O’Hare's cross.

Wrexham could have snatched the lead in the 29th minute but Lewis O’Brien headed wide after getting on the end of Issa Kabore’s cross.