Wrexham closed out a memorable 2025 by defeating Preston North End 2-1 at the Racecourse Ground, marking the first time this season the Red Dragons have achieved back-to-back wins in the Championship.

The North Wales side took the lead just before halftime thanks to Nathan Broadhead, who scored his fifth goal of the season across all competitions. Substitute Ollie Rathbone then doubled Wrexham’s advantage, with Preston’s Alfie Devine pulling one back late on. Despite a tense finish, Wrexham held firm to extend their unbeaten home run in the Championship to 10 matches.

The victory lifts Phil Parkinson’s men to 11th in the league table, just four points shy of the play-off spots, while Preston drop to seventh after their first league defeat in eight matches.

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Early Stalemate and Key Saves

The match began cautiously, with neither side creating clear-cut chances in the opening stages. Arthur Okonkwo, Wrexham’s goalkeeper, was alert to deny Brad Potts, who made his first start of the season, ensuring Preston’s slick attacking move was thwarted.

The game came to life when Josh Windass curled a deflected strike just over the crossbar, sparking excitement among the 10,616-strong home crowd. Wrexham’s record signing Nathan Broadhead threatened with a mazy run from the halfway line, but his initial attempt was driven wide.

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Broadhead Gives Wrexham the Lead

Six minutes before halftime, Broadhead made no mistake. Kieffer Moore delivered a precise cross from the right, and Broadhead guided a clinical header into the bottom corner of Daniel Iversen’s net.

Wrexham suffered a blow just before the break as Moore, their top scorer, was forced off due to injury, with Sam Smith coming on as his replacement.

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Preston Push in Second Half

Preston improved after the interval, testing Okonkwo with a driven shot from Thierry Small, followed by Windass curling wide. Wrexham increasingly relied on counter-attacks, while Preston missed a golden opportunity to equalize when Devine volleyed wide from Ben Whiteman’s corner.

Despite these chances, Wrexham remained a threat, with Smith hitting the post from a George Thomason cross on 74 minutes.

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Substitutes Combine to Seal Victory

The game was effectively settled 13 minutes from time when Wrexham substitutes combined for the second goal. George Dobson split the Preston defense, setting up Rathbone to calmly slot the ball past Iversen, giving Wrexham a 2-0 lead.

Devine scored a late consolation goal for Preston, firing into the bottom corner, but Wrexham’s defense held firm to secure their eighth league win of the season, inflicting only Preston’s fifth Championship defeat of 2025-26.

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Broadhead Ends 2025 on a High

Broadhead, fresh off a stellar performance against Sheffield United three days prior, proved once again a constant threat. After earlier efforts were denied by Iversen, the 27-year-old international ensured he finished 2025 in style with a decisive header.

Despite minor injuries earlier in the season, Broadhead has consistently delivered for Wrexham and could be a key player for Wales in the upcoming March World Cup play-offs.

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Manager Reactions

Phil Parkinson, Wrexham boss, praised his team’s mentality:

“I’m very pleased. It was important to back up the Boxing Day win and performance. Tonight was about accountability individually and collectively, and I felt we did that really well. Over 90 minutes, we deserved the win.”

Meanwhile, Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom admitted:

“We weren’t at our best. There were good moments, but too many mistakes cost us. Wrexham capitalized on those and deserved the win.”

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Player Ratings

• N. Broadhead (Wrexham) – 8.46 – Player of the Match
• O. Rathbone (Wrexham) – 8.18
• C. Doyle (Preston) – 7.86
• K. Moore (Wrexham) – 7.85
• M. James (Preston) – 7.85

Other key contributors included A. Okonkwo, J. Windass, G. Dobson, and S. Smith, all of whom played pivotal roles in the match.

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Key Takeaways

• Wrexham achieve back-to-back Championship wins for the first time this season.
• Nathan Broadhead scores crucial header to open the scoring.
• Ollie Rathbone adds second goal to secure the win.
• Preston North End fall to their first league defeat in eight games.
• Wrexham climb to 11th in the Championship table.