Coventry celebrated their Championship title with a 3-1 victory, putting Wrexham’s playoff hopes in jeopardy.
The Sky Blues were in high spirits following Frank Lampard’s squad clinching the title on Tuesday, eagerly anticipating the trophy presentation after the final whistle.
Brandon Thomas-Asante opened the scoring for the home team with a volley in the 19th minute at the CBS Arena, but Ollie Rathbone quickly equalized for Wrexham, who currently sit sixth in the standings.
A point would have been valuable for the visitors, but with just 10 minutes left, substitute Victor Torp struck a powerful free-kick that Danny Ward could only deflect into the top of the net.
Ephron Mason-Clark sealed the win for Coventry with a stylish finish in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
As the final round of matches approaches on Saturday, Wrexham holds the slimmest of advantages in the fight for the last playoff spot.
With both them and Hull level on 70 points, Wrexham boasts a marginally better goal difference, while Derby lurks just one point behind.
All three teams will play their final matches at home; Wrexham will face Middlesbrough, Hull will host Norwich, and Derby will take on Sheffield United.
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson remarked, “After 45 games we’re in the mix, and we have control going into the last week of the season.”
“We understood the importance of goal difference and needed to stay ahead of Hull while still aiming for a win in this match.”
“The third goal does not reflect the game fairly, but we still maintain an edge over Hull in goal difference.
“There’s everything to play for, and we have an opportunity next week to secure our spot.”
Thousands of Coventry fans displayed “We Are Back” placards before the match to celebrate their return to the Premier League after a 25-year absence.
Wrexham returned to a stadium filled with fond memories, having achieved a remarkable FA Cup upset in 2023 during their National League days.
The Sky Blues received a guard of honour from their opponents, who were aiming for a league double after their earlier 3-2 victory at the Racecourse.
Both teams began with blocked shots, with George Thomason and Frank Onyeka struggling to penetrate the tightly packed defences.
The atmosphere intensified when Thomas-Asante made a clever run between Callum Doyle and Thomason to convert Mason-Clark’s cross from a few yards out.
However, Wrexham responded just six minutes later when George Dobson sent a brilliant pass down the right to Issa Kaboré, whose low cross was emphatically finished by Rathbone from 14 yards.
Despite Coventry dominating possession in the first half, Wrexham remained a threat on the counter, with Josh Windass nearly finding the net and Thomason hitting the post.
Ward made a crucial save 10 minutes into the second half, denying a header from Haji Wright after he was set up by Milan van Ewijk.
Carl Rushworth also came up big, preventing Sam Smith from capitalizing on Dobson’s through ball that split the Coventry defense.
Torp claimed the free-kick and executed a stunning shot, before Mason-Clark capped a memorable season for the Sky Blues.
Information from PA contributed to this recap.