Wrexham beaten 5-3 by MK Dons in League Two season opener

Wrexham endured a difficult start to their first season in the Football League since 2008 as they were beaten 5-3 by MK Dons at the recently renamed Stok Racecourse on Saturday.

The home side were behind early after defender Eoghan O’Connell nodded the ball past his own goalkeeper just six minutes after kick-off.

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MK Dons doubled their lead four minutes later when forward Mohamed Eisa wriggled free from a couple of challenges in the penalty area and poked an effort beyond Ben Foster in the Wrexham goal.

Jacob Mendy halved the deficit for Wrexham shortly before half-time to give hope to an expectant home crowd that included co-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds, as well as fellow actor Hugh Jackman.

The away side, however, wasted no time in re-establishing their two goal lead after the interval as Jonathan Leko arrowed an effort into the bottom left corner from the edge of the box.

Leko got his second, and MK Dons’ fourth, in the 64th minute as he found space in behind the defence and found the back of the net with a cool finish.

Jordan Davies’ spectacular goal brought Wrexham, who had been the favourites to win League Two this season before kick-off, back into the match with 10 minutes of normal time remaining before some late drama in second half stoppage time.

Daniel Harvie scored MK Dons’ fifth with what seemed to be the last kick of the game but Wrexham found time to pull one back through Anthony Forde in the 96th minute.

Hugh Jackman has attended Wrexham AFC’s first game back in the English Football League (EFL), taking pictures with the club’s co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

Known for his roles in X-Men and The Greatest Showman, Jackman, 54, posted photos of himself with Reynolds and McElhenney on his social media platforms and said: “Finally snagged an invite. Thanks Wrex.”

The Australian actor joined the duo, who bought Wrexham AFC in 2020, for the team’s first game in League Two – English football’s fourth tier – since 2008.

On Saturday, the trio watched Wrexham play against Milton Keynes Dons, who had been relegated from League One in May. Milton Keynes Dons won 5-3.

After 15 seasons of playing in the fifth tier of English football, Wrexham won the National League title last season with 111 points, winning promotion to the EFL.

When the Welsh club secured the National League title, McElhenney and Reynolds were among a 10,162-strong crowd.

The actors had been joined by fellow Hollywood star Paul Rudd as they celebrated when Wrexham’s title and promotion were confirmed.

Following their takeover of the club, Reynolds and McElhenney have filmed for the Disney+ series Welcome to Wrexham, which documents the progress of the Welsh football team.

A second season of the documentary is due for release on 13 September.