Wrexham's unbeaten run ends as Red Dragons miss chance to move closer to Championship play-off places after 2-1 defeat to Norwich

Wrexham undone by Norwich

After four straight wins in the Championship, Wrexham went into the encounter with their tails up, but the home fans were silenced when Slimane slotted in Ali Ahmed's pass in the ninth minute. Norwich nearly made it 2-0 when Ahmed's fierce shot from outside the box rattled the frame of the goal. But Wrexham rediscovered their poise and equalized in the 24th minute when in-form striker Smith knocked a superb header into the corner from Max Cleworth's cross. The hosts were increasingly looking in charge but could not convert their other eight efforts on goal into something tangible.

The game was paused early in the second half due to a medical emergency in the crowd, leading the players to head back to their respective changing rooms. Following the break, Norwich looked re-energised and went in front again, this time through a smart finish from Makama just before the hour mark. George Thomason went close as Wrexham went in search of an equaliser that just didn't look like coming. Substitute Nathan Broadhead nearly drew Wrexham level again three minutes from time but goalkeeper Vladan Kovacevic was alert to the danger.

Phil Parkinson's men had eight minutes of stoppage time to try and salvage something from the game but another late show eluded them. The result sees Wrexham drop to 10th, three points outside the playoffs, whereas relegation-threatened Norwich stayed within four points of 21st-placed Portsmouth.

The MVP

While Ahmed and Slimane were constant threats for Norwich, match-winner Makama downed Wrexham to secure a vital three points in their bid to beat the drop. The Canaries came out refreshed after the break in the game and that was all they needed to come away with the win.

The big loser

No Wrexham player had a dreadful day at the office for the Championship promotion hopefuls, but they just weren't clinical enough in front of goal. Their Expected Goals tally was 1.60 to 0.82, so the big loser was Wrexham as a whole for failing to take this opportunity to close the gap on the top six.

Match rating (out of five): ⭐⭐⭐