Wrexham was on the cusp of something even the best minds in Hollywood couldn’t script.
Part-owner Ryan Reynolds was on hand at a noisy racecourse as the National League side narrowly missed out on a surprise win over Championship promotion favorites Sheffield United, who needed a late goal to draw in FA Cup.
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Wrexham acquitted themselves brilliantly against the Blades
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And Reynolds loved what he saw
Twitter: @EmiratesFACup
Reynolds called McElhenney before kick-off to share the rowdy atmosphere at the racecourse
His co-owner Rob McElhenney was unable to attend the occasion, but luckily the Deadpool actor was on hand to call his friend and make sure he had a slice of the atmosphere from the clash of the fourth. round.
Sheffield United took the lead barely a minute into the clash thanks to Oli McBurnie’s header.
The Welsh side responded brilliantly, creating a series of chances before equalizing five minutes after the break through a scrappy effort from James Jones.
Reynolds couldn’t contain his excitement as he celebrated the equalizer, but things got a lot better when Thomas O’Connor led them 2-1 in the 61st minute.
Oliver Norwood made it 2-2 four minutes later, but Paul Mullin looked to have won it for Wrexham with a quiet 86th-minute finish.
As it looked like Wrexham were closing in on the famous win, home fans chanted ‘there’s only one Ryan Reynolds’, with the actor responding by smiling and bowing to the adoring supporters.
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It looked like Wrexham were on their way to the fifth round
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But they couldn’t quite hold their 3-2 lead
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Reynolds was hitting every ball and feeling every emotion during the thrilling cup tie
But moments later, joy turned to despair when Jon Egan equalized for Paul Heckingbottom’s men in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Commenting on the truly wonderful show, Adrian Durham said in a commentary for talkSPORT: “It was absolutely fantastic. Hollywood doesn’t do drama like that, great stuff.
“There was disbelief, actually, at the final whistle. I think the Wrexham fans, who thought they had won, couldn’t quite believe they hadn’t knocked out Sheffield United, then they realized.
“Each of these players deserves a song, deserves applause and deserves love and now the players at Wrexham are giving it back to the fans who were magnificent here tonight.
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Mullin was so close to the star of the show but Sheffield United equalized late
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Wrexham supporters know something very special is happening at their club
“We had a whole range of Welsh songs sung loud and clear by the Wrexham fans and they really supported their team, but Sheffield United wouldn’t fold even with 10 men.
“But it was real drama, you can’t script it. Hitchcock, Spielberg, Tarantino, they can’t make this up – only football, the beautiful game can elicit the emotional response that we were lucky enough to be part of here in Wrexham.
“Mullin was the hero, Egan was the villain who not only stole the win from the non-leagues at the end but then celebrated in front of the home fans.
“No Hollywood screenwriter would dream of putting that in the script, absolutely sensational stuff in the FA Cup tie that had absolutely everything and the only bonus is that they have to play each other again.”
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Reynolds proves that initial enthusiasm turns into long-term ambition
Before the match, Reynolds spoke to broadcaster Gary Lineker about his time with McElhenny with Wrexham so far, suggesting their involvement is a “decades-long project”.
He said: “I co-own this football club with Rob McElhenney and overall it has been the greatest experience of my life, despite my children and my wife, because I know it will come back to haunt me!
“This adventure is unlike anything else and I love that I love it because it’s a project that’s going to last decades with this club and this city and all that that entails.
@Wrexham_AFC on Twitter
McElhenney and Reynolds have big plans for Wrexham
“It’s been awesome. I like to get here early because I meet some of the locals and supporters who have been coming here for decades and decades.
“I met a supporter the other day whose grandfather’s ashes were scattered across this field, so I look at this place a bit like a church, that’s what it really is because it really bought a special place in my heart, the hearts of our families and across the pond too.
“People are obsessed with this club and this community in the United States and it’s been pretty remarkable.”
Asked about his newfound passion for football, Reynolds added: “I’m so in love with the sport that I actually hate it. I wish I had never met him!
“My weeks, my months, my years are built around Wrexham games and in some ways I wish they weren’t, but that’s really the gift that keeps on giving in this community.
“Win or lose, we do it together and it’s just remarkable.
“I take 10,000 steps here every game, walking up and down like a lion in a cage and for a game like today.”
After the match, Reynolds tweeted, “When Rob McElhenney and I got into all of this, it all seemed so impossible. But impossible is Wrexham_AFC’s favorite color.
“It was one of the most exciting things I have ever seen. Thank you to all the Wrexham supporters who came out and directed your hearts to this ground tonight.
Twitter: @VancityReynolds
Reynolds sent a heartfelt message to fans after the brilliant show
Sheffield FC quickly corrected Wrexham’s mistake as they rightly got carried away with excitement
The Cup excitement even got too much for the club at one point as they forgot which Sheffield they would be playing at.
Fortunately, Sheffield FC – the oldest club in the world – corrected them with a cheeky response on Twitter.
Remember, it’s Bramall Lane for the replay…
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