Wrexham 2-4 Chelsea: Heartbreak for 10-man Championship side as Blues escape Wales with FA Cup campaign intact – but Ryan Reynolds’ Hollywood dreamers deserved better, writes RIATH AL-SAMARRAI

Twice Wrexham led and many more times they threatened, but eventually, after 120 minutes and countless undulations, the cast of an uplifting documentary was knocked out of the FA Cup by the ensemble of Chelsea’s latest slasher movie.

A happy ending? For Chelsea certainly. Or relief, at the very least, especially for Liam Rosenior, whose decisions here carried the risk of making him look very silly indeed.

But for Wrexham and Ryan Reynolds, it was different. There will be pride, of course, and more content for Disney, too. And yet the nature of this defeat was something akin to the slaying of Bambi’s mother for plot cruelty.

Because, quite simply, Wrexham deserved better and almost got it. For a combined 26 minutes of this match they led, first through Sam Smith, and then Callum Doyle, but Chelsea, to their credit, kept fighting back. First they benefited from a freaky own goal off the Wrexham’s goalkeeper’s spine and then Josh Acheampong, but even then they could not get clear.

Time and again they were forced into their own area, often by their own deficiencies and regularly by the spirit of a Championship side chasing a fourth promotion in as many seasons. When Wrexham went down to 10 men late in normal time, we assumed they were done, and again when Alejandro Garnacho struck for 3-2, but even then it took a VAR decision to keep Chelsea ahead – Lewis Brunt was a toe offside – before Joao Pedro finally added comfort in stoppage time.

A wild ride, indeed. And one in which Rosenior was complicit in his own problems – of the starting 11 who pulled the wings off Aston Villa on Wednesday, only Jorrel Hato and Alejandro Garnacho were retained. Riskier was the decision to give Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez a night off entirely. If that was bold, then the tactics were conservative, with Rosenior setting a layer of three-centre backs.

Ryan Reynolds (left) and Rob McElhenney (right) enjoyed the display put on by their side 

Callum Doyle celebrates scoring Wrexham’s second goal of the game against Chelsea 

As for Phil Parkinson, the alterations were more understated, albeit with the quirk of benching his two leading scorers, Josh Windass and Kieffer Moore, who between them have accounted for 20 of Wrexham’s 54 Championship goals this season. Responsibilities at the tip of the spear went instead to Smith.

His impact? That could be told in two phases, firstly by his failure to manage a single touch in Chelsea’s area for 17 minutes and then everything that followed, including the finish that had Reynolds dancing for his camera crew.

The origins of the goal were direct, which is to say a 70-yard ball of perfect line and length from Callum Doyle, before a three-man chase commenced between Smith, Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile. That sprint was a test of speed, strength and desire, so conclude what you wish about Tosin giving up after 10 yards and Badiashile getting shunted aside by Smith prior to the strike.

Smith’s quality in the finish was undeniable, and ditto Doyle, whose signing from Manchester City has been indicative of Wrexham’s shrewd use of their funds. What of a Chelsea defence that turned slower than milk? They might feel some awkwardness in Rosenior’s forthcoming video sessions.

Not that they’ll stand alone. Too often, the duels and examinations of will were lost. Romeo Lavia, making his first start in four months, was utterly swamped by George Dobson and Zak Vyner and a crushed supply line is no good to anyone. Liam Delap simply had nothing to hunt.

At the other end, Wrexham’s threat was easier to measure, despite Parkinson’s side holding far less possession. Smith, for one, had a second decent opportunity, created when Tosin’s poor positioning was exposed by a Doyle throughball, before Ryan Longman forced a save from Sanchez via an attack from the opposite flank.

Both chances traced to vulnerabilities in the spaces behind the wing-backs, which was also a theme when Rosenior last dabbled with this system against Napoli at the beginning of his tenure.

As with that game, there was a belated improvement. With the money Chelsea have spent, that should at least be taken for granted.

Here, the revival was orchestrated by Delap, who collected a pass from Sanchez in midfield before spinning away from Dom Hyam and spreading play to Garnacho on the left. The Argentine’s finish was blocked on the line by George Thomason, with the unfortunate consequence that the ball ricocheted back off Arthur Okonkwo’s shoulder blades and into his own goal.

Alejandro Garnacho scored for Chelsea in extra-time after the Blues were pushed all the way

George Dobson was given his marching orders in a key moment in the FA Cup clash 

Wrexham took the lead through Sam Smith after he fired past Robert Sanchez 

Rosenior resisted any urges to change his hand at half-time – maybe he regretted leaving Palmer at home – and his team remained stodgy. No control in the middle.

No focal point further ahead. But three substitutions injected some energy, most notably from Marc Cucurella, with Parkinson responding by sending on three of his own, each of them attackers. He wanted the win and he almost had his reward.

The touch for 2-1 was a beauty, with Moore causing chaos by striking a half-cleared corner through a parting in the Chelsea defence from Mickey Thomas range and Doyle flicking in off his heel. Reynolds almost squeezed the life out of Rob McElhenney.

But the celebration ended quickly. Within four minutes, Josh Acheampong had lashed in the leveller, driving high at the near post after being rolled clear by Andrey Santos. 

Pedro Neto hit the bar as Chelsea pursued a winner and their chances increased when George Dobson was sent off for a knee-high challenge on Garnacho. Remarkably, the referee Peter Bankes required the VAR to make the decision.

With extra-time necessary, the difference showed itself, with Wrexham stretched to breaking point when Dario Essugo crossed to the far post and Garnacho, unmarked, controlled his volley past Okonkwo.

That was heartbreaking for Parkinson. More so when Lewis Brunt had an equaliser disallowed by the VAR for offside with 114 minutes played and Joao Pedro scored a fourth in stoppage time.