Wrexham 4-5 Grimsby: No Hollywood end for Dragons as Mariners reach National League play-off final

There is to be no Hollywood finish to the season in Wrexham following the Dragons’ defeat to Grimsby in a National League play-off semi-final worthy of every Oscar available.

All eyes have been on north Wales this season thanks to superstar owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, who have taken the club and newly-crowned city to their hearts. The affection from the Racecourse faithful has been returned.

With big-money signings brought in from the Football League, the pair have made their statement of intent clear but in the last few weeks their grand plan has come crashing down.

Grimsby have reached the National League play-off final after triumphing away at Wrexham

It was only three weeks ago that Phil Parkinson’s side won 3-0 against Stockport County to go top of the National League, but they would ultimately miss out on automatic promotion. Then last weekend, they lost the FA Trophy final to Bromley at Wembley with Reynolds and McElhenney in attendance.

But this will be the biggest sucker punch of all. It was a game beyond any script that could be written, with more twists and turns than the very best thrillers.

With their owners once again watching on, kicking and heading every ball themselves, Wrexham won a penalty inside 12 minutes at the Racecourse as Paul Mullin went down under the challenge of Luke Waterfall. 

Mullin, who scored 32 goals in League Two last season stepped up himself to thunder the spot-kick off the crossbar and into the net.

Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney react after Grimsby’s extra-time winner

But Grimsby have never been a side to sit and complain. 

After all, they scored a 96th-minute equaliser to take their play-off quarter-final against Notts County to extra-time and then won the tie in the 119th minute. The Mariners were level just 22 seconds after the re-start, John McAtee releasing an improbable strike from outside the box that soared past Christian Dibble.

Wrexham felt they should have re-taken the lead before half-time when Mullin had a goal ruled out for a foul on Grimsby goalkeeper Max Crocombe, but the real drama was to come after the break.

The Mariners went in front through Waterfall’s back post header two minutes into the second half and it proved to be the longest time that either side held onto a lead throughout the game – 16 minutes.

Wrexham striker Paul Mullin opened the scoring with a penalty inside the first 13 minutes

Emmanuel Dieseruvwe put Grimsby 4-3 ahead but Wrexham equalised again two minutes later

When Ben Tozer headed in from a corner to equalise for Wrexham in the 63rd minute, it was the first of five goals in a frantic 17-minute period. There was controversy as the lead swung back in the Welsh side’s favour, as Mullin scored his second of the afternoon at the back post, with replays showing that the final touch came off the striker’s hand. The ‘Mullin-donna’ puns ensued.

Ryan Taylor equalised for Grimsby before being substituted three minutes later, but his replacement Emmanuel Dieseruvwe needed just two minutes to make an impact as he headed in from a corner. That’s 4-3 to the visitors, if you’re keeping up.

Every neutral was pleading for this thrilling game to never end and thanks to Jordan Davies’s header, there was to be 30 more minutes. It was also becoming increasingly clear that neither side could defend from set-pieces.

Extra-time is rarely an exciting event and often seems like it is just delaying an inevitable penalty shoot-out. Particularly in this game, it was going to take something special to match the previous goal-laden 90 minutes.

John McAtee scored the pick of the goals, finding the net from 25 yards in the first half

The ball only hit the net once more, but it was still a moment layered in drama and subplot. It went the way of Grimsby, who are earning quite the reputation as late-goal kings, as defender Waterfall headed home his second goal of the game in the 119th minute.

It came from a long-throw, ironic considering that Wrexham have the modern-day Rory Delap in their ranks in Ben Tozer. Meanwhile, Waterfall spent half a season with the Welsh side earlier in his career.

This was not how it was meant to go for Wrexham. It is arguably a harsh way for their season to end, given that in the Football League a second-place finish would have secured automatic promotion. But Reynolds and McElhenney will have to go again.

Grimsby gladly took on the role of party crashers, as they did against Notts County earlier in the week. They will travel to the London Stadium a week tomorrow to face either Solihull Moors or Chesterfield and look to secure promotion the unfashionable way.