“We Never Stopped Believing” – Rathbone Saves Wrexham Late Against Watford

Wrexham snatched a dramatic 2-2 draw against Watford at the Racecourse Ground as Oliver Rathbone struck deep into stoppage time, sparking wild celebrations in front of owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. It was a goal that not only rescued a point but also halted the momentum of a second straight league defeat.

For long stretches, this felt like a night that might slip away from Phil Parkinson’s side. Watford arrived with intent, overturned an early deficit, and looked poised to take all three points before Rathbone’s late intervention rewrote the script.

Why this game mattered

With just a single point separating the two teams at kickoff and both hovering on the fringes of the playoff places, the stakes were clear. A win would have provided real traction heading into the festive run of fixtures, a period that often defines promotion pushes.

Wrexham were also seeking a response after their nine-match unbeaten league run ended away at Hull in midweek. Parkinson spoke beforehand about the need for honesty and intensity. What followed was a game that tested both.

Early warning signs and a sudden swing

Watford set the early tempo. Marc Bola flashed a low drive across the face of the goal inside two minutes, a warning that the visitors were not content to sit back. Wrexham struggled to impose themselves early, with Max Cleworth blazing over from a distance and Josh Windass firing a free kick wide.

The visitors nearly struck first in the 20th minute when Luca Kjerrumgaard’s effort from the edge of the box drifted just past the post. That miss proved pivotal.

A minute later, Wrexham was ahead. Matty James threaded a precise through ball into Windass, who took it in stride and fired confidently past Egil Selvik. The Racecourse erupted, and the cameras quickly found Reynolds and McElhenney celebrating in the stands alongside Kaitlin Olson.

That joy did not last.

Watford’s quality shows

Nine minutes later, Mamadou Doumbia brought Watford level with a strike that summed up his threat. Cutting inside, he unleashed a shot that clipped a defender and thundered in off the underside of the crossbar, leaving Arthur Okonkwo with no chance.

Watford sensed vulnerability. Three minutes before halftime, they completed the turnaround. A scramble in the box saw Othmane Maamma react quickest, firing home from six yards while Okonkwo was stranded.

Wrexham nearly hit back immediately when Callum Doyle’s header from a corner crashed against the bar, a moment that underlined how fine the margins were.

Pressure without reward

The second half followed a familiar pattern. Watford started brightly, Doumbia forcing a sharp save from Okonkwo from close range. At the other end, Wrexham pushed higher, committing bodies forward and increasing the tempo.

Ryan Longman should have equalized on 65 minutes but headed wide from just a couple of yards out after James McClean’s teasing delivery. Kieffer Moore then glanced a header straight at Selvik, a chance that demanded more.

As the clock ticked down, Watford struggled to escape their own half. Windass tested Selvik with a fierce 20-yard drive, pushed around the post, while Dominic Hyam had the ball in the net only for the flag to deny him.

The sense around the stadium was growing. Wrexham was knocking. Watford was hanging on.

Rathbone’s moment

Deep into stoppage time, the breakthrough finally came. A loose clearance fell kindly on the edge of the area, and Rathbone did not hesitate. His strike cut through the crowd, beat Selvik, and sent the home end into delirium.

It was a goal born of persistence and pressure, the kind that can shape a season.

What comes next

For Wrexham, this draw felt like more than just a point. It stopped a losing run before it could take hold and reinforced the belief that they can compete with established Championship sides in high-pressure moments.

Watford, meanwhile, will see this as two points dropped. They had control, chances to kill the game, and will rue their inability to manage the final minutes.

As the festive period approaches, both teams remain firmly in the promotion conversation. If this match proved anything, it is that neither is going away quietly.