It's not just a place in the next round at stake as Parkinson's men take on Welsh rivals

WREXHAM'S start to the season might not be as spectacular as fans have become accustomed to in the last few years.

- By LIAM RANDALL

The Red Dragons have been on a whirlwind journey since the club was bought by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac in February 2021.

Wrexham fell just short of escaping the National League in the A-listers’ first full season in charge.

However, Phil Parkinson’s side haven't looked back since, registering three consecutive promotions.

Wrexham have so far registered three wins, four draws and four defeats from their first 11 Championship games.

Such was the lukewarm beginning to the club’s campaign that claims emerged in mid-September that Parkinson's job was at risk.

While this was later rubbished by Wrexham director Shaun Harvey, a first home league win of the season against Oxford United cooled the speculation.

The victory, courtesy of a Nathan Broadhead strike, also marked an achievement which flew largely under the radar.

When Reynolds and Mac first bought Wrexham, they were only the fourth-highest ranked Welsh side playing in the English football system.

While the North Wales outfit finished second in the National League at the end of the 2021/22 campaign, Swansea and Cardiff were both in the Championship, with the former ending up 15th and 18th in the table respectively.