Ninety minutes before kick-off a couple of digivans poking fun at Wrexham completed another lap of St Mary’s, whizzing past with a LED billboard that read: “Who needs Hollywood?” with the letters of Southampton studded in the Californian hills. On this evidence the Welsh club – back at this level for the first time since 1982 after an extraordinary rise from non-league – are sure to be a fun addition but how they were given a galling reminder of the step up in trip, Saints scoring twice in the final nine minutes to earn a comeback victory and a first under Will Still.
Just two years ago, Southampton were operating four divisions higher than Wrexham, ending 2022-23 with a 4-4 draw against Liverpool while Wrexham signed off from the National League with a 2-2 draw at Torquay. It is only four years since the journey to this point under Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney began; Phil Parkinson’s side began the 2021-22 season at Solihull Moors in front of a crowd of 2,196 and Saints a 10th straight season in the top flight. Here they were duking it out on a level playing field, a pristine surface a world away from Damson Park. Max Cleworth and Ryan Barnett – both on the pitch that day, the latter for Solihull – also began here.
Until the final minute of regular time it appeared Wrexham would start the season with a victory courtesy of a first-half penalty, awarded after Ronnie Edwards barged Kieffer Moore and converted by Josh Windass, one of seven Wrexham debutants, six of whom were in the starting lineup. Edwards could count himself extremely fortunate to escape without even a booking. Saints came close to levelling in first-half stoppage time, the 18-year-old Jay Robinson striking a post before Conor Coady blocked off Adam Armstrong’s route to goal. Still, at 32 the youngest manager in the English Football League, stood hands on head trying to make sense of it all.
Wrexham showed no signs of imposter syndrome and settled quicker. Windass clipped the crossbar before opening the scoring from the spot, but the visitors slowly lost their grip on the game. The arrival of Mateus Fernandes on the hour – to a huge ovation – helped the hosts. Parkinson enjoyed a bit of back and forth with the home supporters behind the away dugout after a penalty appeal was turned down.
The Wrexham substitute Ryan Hardie, another of those new faces, forced Gavin Bazunu into an instinctive left-hand save on 87 minutes and three minutes later the Southampton substitute Ryan Manning levelled, leathering in a superb free-kick from 25 yards. Manning was instrumental in the winner, tool. Manning controlled a high ball in the box and while the US forward Damion Downs, another summer signing, somehow failed to convert from a couple of yards out, the Saints captain Jack Stephens was alive at the back post to apply the finish.
