Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson expressed frustration over the amount of stoppage time added after Rubin Colwill’s late free kick secured a dramatic 1-1 Championship draw against Cardiff on Monday.
Parkinson argued that no more than four minutes should have been added, as Wrexham held a lead from an early goal by Kieffer Moore.
Referee Andrew Kitchen extended the match by six minutes, and after George Dobson fouled Joel Colwill near the edge of the area, another two minutes elapsed before Colwill’s powerful shot soared over the Wrexham wall and past goalkeeper Anthony Patterson.
“Honestly, I don’t know where six minutes came from,” Parkinson commented. “In my view, it should have been around four. There were no injuries in the second half, and I thought we had done enough.”
“We had several chances to seal the win. We should have been well ahead.”
Former Cardiff player Moore netted the opener for Wrexham in the third minute, marking his seventh goal against his old club. He also came close to scoring again, hitting the crossbar with a header, while Callum Doyle’s strike in the second half ricocheted off the post.
Wrexham had further chances to score, but they were thwarted by Cardiff goalkeeper Nathan Trott, who denied efforts from Doyle, Danny Imray, and Sam Smith.
Parkinson reflected: “Some of our forward play was excellent, and I was pleased with our overall performance. However, conceding late is always painful.”
“We anticipated them pushing players forward, and while we dealt with that, we also created some fantastic counter-attacking opportunities.”
“I felt quite at ease, even in a challenging atmosphere. It was our first game in the new division, and the crowd was electric.”
“We approached the match with the confidence of a team that believed they could win. While we didn’t, after reviewing the performances of our players, I saw some truly exceptional displays.”
Cardiff manager Brian Barry-Murphy celebrated the equalizer from substitute Colwill with a dash down the touchline reminiscent of Jose Mourinho, which earned him a yellow card for stepping out of his technical area.
“Rubin had only trained for two days, so I probably shouldn’t have brought him on so soon,” Barry-Murphy acknowledged. “But the flow of the game necessitated a change.”
“He’s a consummate professional, deeply passionate about the game and the club, and he’s a significant player for us.”
“He just needs to re-establish his training rhythm since he hasn’t had many sessions recently.”
Wrexham’s disappointing start to their second season in the Championship follows recent promotions, and it comes after an early exit from the Carabao Cup against Middlesbrough on August 7.
Information from PA was included in this report.