Wrexham beats Mansifield, moves step closer to promotion

Actor Ryan Reynolds co-owns Wrexham, a fourth-tier Welsh team, and they advanced to the next level of play on Friday when they defeated Mansfield 2-0.  

In front of 12,494 spectators at the Racecourse Ground, talisman striker Paul Mullin scored both goals, finishing from a cross in the first half and converting a penalty in the 67th minute.  

Tied on points with Mansfield, who is second on goal differential, Wrexham is still in third place in League Two. With a 3-0 victory over Forest Green, Stockport went one point clear at the top.  

At the end of the season, the top three clubs receive automatic promotions, while the remaining four teams compete for one final position in the playoffs. With six games left, Wrexham takes on mid-table Doncaster on Tuesday.  

Wrexham was adrift when Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney bought the little-known club for $2.5 million in 2021. 

Last April, they clinched the National League title to get back into the English Football League  the three divisions below the Premier League for the first time in 15 years. 

The Hollywood stars have invested heavily in the club through loans the club's financial reports this week show that they're owed more than $11 million. 

Reynolds' and McElhenney's adventures as soccer team owners have been chronicled in their show “Welcome to Wrexham.” 

Mullin's brace raised his tally to 99 goals for Wrexham since he joined in 2021 on a three-year deal. The Englishman's season got off to a slow start after he sustained a punctured lung during a friendly in July on the team's tour of the United States.