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Two stoppage-time goals were enough to bring lofty dreams back to earth as National League side Wrexham lost their FA Cup replay against Sheffield United.
Wrexham dared to believe when their talismanic striker Paul Mullins gave them a 3-2 lead in the 86th minute. However, their opponents, who are 170 places above them in the English football pyramid, equalized in the dying minutes of the encounter to force Tuesday's replay.
Despite starting the match confidently, Wrexham soon found themselves trapped in their half as Sheffield United looked to put the game to bed early, but they could not convert any of their 17 shots in the first half.
The second half was more of the same and nobody was surprised when the Championship side took the lead. A perfectly weighted ball by Ben Pearson found an overlapping Anel Ahmedzhovic whose shot found its way in at the near post.
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Wrexham soon found a way back into the match nine minutes later when Oliver Norwood made a poor challenge on Paul Mullin which led to a penalty. Mullin who had completed the comeback in the first tie stepped up and made no mistake as Wrexham drew level.
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A few minutes later they had another penalty but unfortunately for Mullins, he could not repeat his heroics.
With extra-time looming, Mullin would see his missed penalty come back to haunt him as Sheffield scored a decisive goal in the final minutes. Club legend Billy Sharp broke into space on the left wing before cutting in on his right foot and coolly slotting the ball into the back of the net.
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A few minutes later and the Hollywood dream was over as Sander Berge took full advantage of poor defending in the Wrexham penalty box to find space and emphatically send the ball into the net.
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Wrexham’s valiant effort over two legs could not guarantee a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup where Sheffield will now face Premier League opponents in Tottenham Hotspur.
What next for Hollywood football?
Following their takeover by Hollywood duo Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, Wrexham has seen itself become a pop culture phenomenon overnight. The club from a small town in Wales has garnered an impressive international following as they look to make it into the fourth tier of English football.
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Despite their FA Cup exit, the fans and board can look back at the journey fondly as they certainly made new fans along the way. In a tweet posted after the match, co-owner Ryan Reynolds wrote ”So proud of these boys. And the 4000 plus away supporters who gave it all. @Wrexham_AFC.”
Following this FA Cup exit, Wrexham will now be fully focused on their promotion into League Two.
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