Football Dec 07, 2025

Wrexham 1-1 Blackburn: Max Cleworth earns late point for Red Dragons

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By Admin
Sports Journalist
Wrexham 1-1 Blackburn: Max Cleworth earns late point for Red Dragons

Wrexham scored a last-gasp equaliser to earn a point in a 1-1 draw with Blackburn at the SToK Cae Ras.

The visitors thought they had won it through Andri Gudjohnsen's early goal, but Max Cleworth struck in the fifth minute of second-half added time to remain unbeaten in the Championship since October 18.

The game sprang to life on 13 minutes when Ryan Alebiosu raced down the right flank and sent the ball in for Gudjohnsen to head it beyond Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo and into the far corner.

Five minutes later, Alebiosu put another into the area, but Yuki Ohashi missed the target from an acrobatic volley.

Wrexham's first chance came on 25 minutes when Ryan Longman's pass found captain James McClean at the back post, only for the winger to head it into the side netting.

The visitors again looked dangerous on the counter attack and, on 28 minutes, it took a last-ditch tackle from Cleworth to prevent Ryoya Morishita from launching a shot in the box after he had been slipped in by fellow Japanese international Ohashi.

Oshahi forced a good save out of Okonkwo two minutes later, before he set up Adam Forshaw, only for the veteran midfielder to blast the ball over the crossbar.

Wrexham were getting balls into the box, but not doing anything constructive with it, with passes going amiss and giving away possession.

At the start of the second-half, it was Rovers who were wasteful in the opposition box, with a number of corners going astray.

But they had a prime opportunity to double their lead on 56 minutes.

Ohashi showed clever feet to beat the Wrexham defenders and launch a fierce shot on goal, but Okonkwo kept it out, and then Gudjohnsen fired the rebound over.

Rovers had another chance to make it two, this time on 70 minutes, after substitute Makhtar Gueye sent a dangerous ball in, which home defender Cleworth cleared on to his own post and out for a corner.

Then, on 79 minutes, Callum Doyle sent in a cross to George Dobson, only for his fellow substitute to glance his header wide.

Searching for an equaliser, Wrexham saw Kieffer Moore's close-range effort superbly saved by Aynsley Pears, before Cleworth fizzed the rebound over the woodwork.

And on 85 minutes, Moore played in Nathan Broadhead, but he fired inches wide.

However, Wrexham levelled matters late on, perhaps deservedly, when a short free-kick was met by Broadhead, whose pass was met by Cleworth and he fired into the back of the net to send the home crowd into raptures.

Wrexham's Phil Parkinson:

"It is a decent point "We had chances and didn't take them, but we kept plugging away and the moment eventually came.

"If it had happened five minutes earlier, we probably would have won the game.

"We were careless at times, but we upped the ante in terms of quality in the second period."

Blackburn's Valerien Ismael:

"It was a disgrace that the referee gave the free-kick in the first place.

"One of Wrexham's players came up to me after the game and said it was not a free-kick.

"I don't know how the linesman could have given it and it is a tough one to take, but I am always proud of my players, and we put in a consistent and strong performance.

"Wrexham pushed, but we mostly defended well."

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