adminPhil Parkinson points finger of blame as Wrexham star slammed over red card
Wrexham picked up their first home win of the season against Oxford United but finished the match with 10 men
A first half goal from Wales international Nathan Broadhead was enough to secure the Red Dragons’ first home Championship win of the season on Wednesday evening. Oxford struggled to provide a threat up front for most of the match until Wrexham defender Callum Doyle was shown a straight red card in the 67th minute for a strong challenge on Siriki Dembele.
However, the North Wales outfit held on to end a run of four games without a win, lifting them up to 15th in the table. There were contrasting verdicts after the final whistle on whether Doyle’s sending off was justified, with Wrexham manager Parkinson accusing referee Elliot Bell of being too hasty in making his decision.
Speaking during his post-match press conference, the former Sunderland and Bolton boss said: “The contact is low and I think a more experienced ref takes his time, takes a deep breath and gives a yellow. We had him [Bell] at Leicester where he had the opportunity to send their lad off for a second yellow and didn’t take that.
“I thought he made the decision too quickly. Callum goes in strongly, don’t get me wrong, but it’s his first foul in the game. I felt a more experienced ref gives a yellow for that.”
Doyle was signed by Wrexham from Manchester City for an initial fee of around £5million, potentially rising to as much as £8m, following their promotion from League One last term. The arrival of the City academy graduate, who played for Norwich on loan in the Championship during the previous season, was widely viewed as a positive move as Parkinson looked to strengthen his defensive unit.
However, many Wrexham fans on social media were left unhappy by the 22-year-old’s brash tackle which could have proven costly.
Posting on X, one supporter said: “Horrible. Brainless play,” while someone else wrote: “Idiotic challenge. Just no need for it and puts the rest of the team in the trenches for 25 minutes.” Another fan added: “Doyle has been a mess.”
Goalscorer Broadhead made only his second league start of the season against Oxford after joining Wrexham for a club record fee of £7.5m from Ipswich in August. The 27-year-old impressed playing just behind Wales colleague Kieffer Moore in attack.
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