Wrexham fought back from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw at West Bromwich Albion, a result that lifts the visitors into the Championship play-off places.
West Brom opened the scoring after 26 minutes when Isaac Price’s free-kick took a deflection off George Dobson and looped over Arthur Okonkwo. The hosts doubled their lead before half-time when Josh Maja converted from the spot after Issa Kabore was judged to have held Jayson Molumby at a corner — West Brom’s first penalty of the season.
Wrexham, who had been sloppy in the opening 45, responded immediately after the break. Two minutes after the restart Josh Windass curled a superb 20-yard strike into the corner to make it 2-1 and shift momentum firmly in Wrexham’s favour. Sustained pressure paid off on 62 minutes when Callum Doyle’s cross was turned goalwards by Lewis O’Brien; Dobson may have had the slightest of touches as the ball crossed the line, but the score was level.
The closing stages were tense. Wrexham keeper Arthur Okonkwo produced a crucial late stop to deny Albion substitute Daryl Dike from close range, while West Brom’s Josh Griffiths kept the match even by pushing away an effort from the returning Kieffer Moore. Both sides had further chances — Sam Smith and Dominic Hyam came close for Wrexham earlier in the second half — but neither could find a winner.
The draw puts Wrexham sixth, a point above Southampton who have a game in hand; the two teams meet in North Wales on Tuesday. West Brom remain 20th, four points clear of the relegation places, and extended an unbeaten run to five games under interim boss James Morrison.
Albion had started brightly after recent wins over Hull and Bristol City, with early openings for Aune Heggebo and Jamaldeen Jimoh-Aloba. Set pieces produced the breakthrough and the penalty, while Wrexham’s only first-half real threat came when Ousmane Diakite’s stoppage-time header struck Nat Phillips and flashed wide with Griffiths beaten.
After the game James Morrison defended the referee’s decision to award the penalty, saying officials had warned they would clamp down on holding at corners and calling the point “good.” Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson labelled the spot-kick “very, very harsh,” arguing similar contact is not consistently punished and saying he will raise the issue with the head of Championship referees.