Kieffer Moore came off the bench to snatch a dramatic late win for Wrexham as they beat Preston 3-2 in the Carabao Cup.
The 33-year-old took advantage of a mistake from Jack Walton in stoppage time to send the Welsh outfit into round three for the first time since 1981.
“It’s about learning and we belong at this level. Okay, it’s a cup game, but they’re a very good Championship team,” Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said after the game. “I want to see us play with that bit of swagger and accept that we belong on this stage and we have shown that tonight.”
Debutant Lewis Dobbin opened the scoring for Preston after seven minutes before Ryan Hardie’s sensational equaliser.
The home team deservedly regained the lead just on 29 minutes through Liam Lindsay, but Harry Ashfield levelled again just before the hour.
Daniel Jebbison slipped in Theo Carroll early on but the 18-year-old blazed over as he was closed down.
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But Carroll almost immediately teed up another chance for Dobbin, who curled a delightful finish into the far corner from just inside the box.
Wrexham were level within a matter of minutes as Hardie lobbed Walton with an audacious cross-cum-shot to get off the mark for the campaign.
Pol Valentin forced Wrexham’s Arthur Okonkwo into an 18th-minute stop at his near post after good work from Dobbin. Okonkwo had to stay alert shortly after to keep out Alfie Devine.
Pressure eventually paid off as Lindsay met Devine’s corner and headed home from close range.
Okonkwo was forced into his best save on the stroke of half-time, tipping over Devine’s free-kick. Dobbin then slipped Jebbison through but the former Bournemouth man’s dink came back off the post.
Ashfield had tried his luck from miles out in the first half but found more luck from slightly closer range in the 59th minute, sneaking a shot past Walton from just outside the box via a deflection.
“[He] deserves to be around the squad because he trains well every day with quality and he’s a great lad,” Parkinson said. “He was up against Alfie Devine, who is valued at a lot of money, highly thought of young player, and I said ‘What a test for you tonight.’
“And afterwards the press will be speaking about Harry Ashfield and not Alfie Devine.”
Preston had to fend off periods of pressure but nearly went ahead again in the 85th minute as substitute Michael Smith’s curler forced Okonkwo into acrobatics.
But Wrexham won it in the dying embers as Walton fumbled a ball into the box and Moore prodded home.
Information from PA was used in this report.
