Wrexham into play-off places as Premier League dream comes into focus

Phil Blanche, Press Association

Wrexham moved into the Sky Bet Championship play-off places as in-form Josh Windass pushed Oxford closer to the relegation trapdoor.

Top scorer Windass gave Wrexham a precious 1-0 victory with his fifth goal in six games five minutes before the break.

The win saw Wrexham take sixth spot from Hull on goal difference as the Tigers were held 2-2 at Leicester.

Wrexham’s hopes of making the play-offs – and possibly a historic fourth consecutive promotion – now rest on closing fixtures against champions Coventry and fifth-placed Middlesbrough.

It is a much different story for Oxford, who face the distinct prospect of joining Leicester and Sheffield Wednesday in League One next season.

The Us will be relegated on Wednesday should Charlton draw against Ipswich and Blackburn beat Sheffield United.

Before kick-off Oxford showed footage of the 1986 League Cup final – in which they beat QPR almost 40 years to the day – on the big screen to get fans in high spirits.

The home crowd’s mood almost improved further when Myles Peart-Harris and Will Lankshear nearly got on the end of Sam Long’s cross, but Wrexham soon began to carve out chances after a cagey opening.

Sam Smith’s every touch was barracked by Us fans with long memories of his loan spell at the club in 2018-19, but the forward almost silenced those jeers when stretching and diverting George Thomason’s cross just wide.

Dominic Hyam headed over Thomason’s corner at the near post and Windass flashed wide from a rapid counter-attack before Wrexham seized command.

Smith battled well to lay the ball into the path of Windass and his unerring low drive from 20 yards gave him his 15th league goal of the season.

Oxford had huffed and puffed but created little of note until Stan Mills’ goalbound effort was blocked by Thomason just before half-time.

The energetic Mills helped Oxford build up an early second-half head of steam and Michal Helik’s header was collected by Danny Ward on his line.

But the hosts were fortunate to survive when Callum Doyle climbed well at the far post and his defensive partner Hyam was kept out by the reflexes of home goalkeeper Jamie Cumming.

Mills saw his header deflected over and Hyam’s decisive touch close to the goal-line on prevented Lankshear from profiting at the far post.

Oxford exerted late pressure but Wrexham’s defenders stood tall and Ward held on from Aidomo Emakhu in stoppage time to keep the dream of Premier League football very much alive.