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Phil Parkinson keen to savour another historic moment for Wrexham

13 Feb 2026 3 minute read
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson before the Emirates FA Cup fourth round match at SToK Cae Ras, Wrexham. Credit: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.

Phil Parkinson wanted to savour the moment after guiding Wrexham into the FA Cup fifth round for the first time in 29 years.

John Windass scored the winner as the ambitious Welsh side edged a tight contest with Championship promotion rivals Ipswich 1-0 at Stok Cae Ras.

It was another notable victory for the Red Dragons as their rise under the ownership of Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac continues.

Manager Parkinson said: “We spoke before the game about our chance to create a bit of history.

“We’ve done it and I’m so pleased because it was always going to be a tough game against a very good side.

“Every season in football is special and you’ve got to savour it.

“This season, with the challenge of being in the Championship and now an FA Cup run, we want to enjoy it, and tonight we certainly did.”

This week marked the fifth anniversary of Wrexham’s takeover, which took place when the club were in the National League.

They have been promoted in the past three seasons and, currently sixth in the Championship, they now have a shot at reaching the Premier League.

Parkinson said: “I think it’s great for our owners, to get them into the fifth round.

“We can really look forward to the draw on Monday night when we’ll be in a hotel in Bristol.

“We’ll savour that but, obviously, it’s the back-burner now for the FA Cup and we’ll concentrate on the league.”

Wrexham fans in the stands hold up a tin foil cup ahead of the Emirates FA Cup fourth round match at SToK Cae Ras, Wrexham. Credit: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.

Having made 10 changes, Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna made clear his priority is promotion.

The Tractor Boys, who are third in the Championship as they seek an instant return to the top flight, will be back at Wrexham next week for a contest that could play out differently.

McKenna had no regrets over his selection.

He said: “We had two goals. We wanted to go through in the cup and we tried right until the last second to do that, but a big priority had to be getting minutes into players who needed it and to protect some other players.

“I know if you go out and you make changes you have to go win the next league game, then there won’t be too many questions.

“But if you look at the schedule and where we would fit in the games for an FA Cup run, to be honest, it was really hard to see how that wouldn’t be to the detriment of the group.”


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