Phil Parkinson takes aim at Wrexham AFC players amid Wembley heartbreak | OneFootball

The Red Dragons' boss alludes to lack of ruthlessness in EFL Trophy exit

Wrexham’s hopes of a trip to Wembley were shattered in heartbreaking fashion as they surrendered a 2-0 lead to Peterborough United in the EFL Trophy semi-final before losing on penalties.

Phil Parkinson made eight changes to the side that beat Mansfield Town days earlier, but despite a strong start, Wrexham ultimately failed to see the game out.

Jacob Mendy’s assist for George Dobson and Mo Faal’s well-taken opener had put Wrexham in a commanding position.

The Red Dragons fans were already chanting about their trip to the iconic London stadium as their side seemed destined for the final.

However, a second-half collapse saw Peterborough claw back into the game, first through a rebounded penalty from James Mothersille and then via an injury-time equalizer from Chisom Ihionvien.

The subsequent penalty shootout proved decisive, as Peterborough, who had already lost twice to Wrexham in League One this season, finally got the better of them to keep their EFL Trophy defence alive.

Wrexham throw away Wembley dream in dramatic collapse: Phil Parkinson’s take

After the match, a frustrated Parkinson did not hold back when addressing the media, voicing his disappointment at his team:

“We left a lot of the players out who played against Mansfield on Sunday, they will be back in [on Thursday] to train. We will be ready. We have said before every round that the league is our number one priority and it always has been. But when you get so close, you want to finish the job off.”

“We have done well in this tournament throughout the season. We had been unbeaten to get to this stage but now we have to focus on the league, learn from tonight, take the lessons and when you are leading in a game, we have to make sure we concentrate and are diligent in all areas of our play.”

He reiterated his belief that the team must develop a more cutting edge:

“Show a ruthlessness in your game to go and score the next goal, or certainly make sure you don’t concede.”

“We gave a team, who were really out on their feet, a lifeline. We have thrown away a chance to go to Wembley as far as I am concerned, we were comfortable in the game. Two up, we made a lot of changes and I thought the lads did well.”

“Two poor goals to concede, moments in the game, concentration and seeing the game through. Particularly the second one - head the ball out of the box. If you don’t win the first one you have to react to deal with the second better.”

“From a game which looked so comfortable for us, to end up not going to Wembley is very difficult for us but we have no-one to blame but ourselves.”

The bigger picture: Wrexham’s focus shifts to League One promotion race

While the Wembley heartbreak will sting, Parkinson made it clear that the league remains the club’s number one priority.

Wrexham currently sit third in League One on 61 points, trailing Wycombe Wanderers (64 points) and Birmingham City (73, with a game in hand).

With a crucial clash against Bolton Wanderers looming this weekend - a potential play-off defining match - Parkinson stressed the need to learn from their mistakes and remain focused.

Parkinson’s blunt assessment suggests there will be little room for error as Wrexham push for automatic promotion or, failing that, prepare for the playoffs.

With only a few months left in the season, their reaction to this setback could define their campaign.