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Hull took advantage of an FA Cup hangover for Wrexham to strengthen their grip on a Championship playoff place with a 2-1 win in north Wales that put them six points clear of the Red Dragons.
The battle between fifth and sixth in the table was decided by goals from two of Hull’s loanees — Leeds’ Joe Gelhardt and Liverpool’s Lewis Koumas — and it would have been worse for Wrexham had Gelhardt not been denied from the penalty spot late in the first half.
The hosts, with co-owner Ryan Reynolds watching on, threatened a late comeback as Nathan Broadhead swept home in the 76th minute, but their rally fell short as Hull made it eight wins from their last 10 league games on the road.
For long periods Wrexham looked a shadow of the side that took Chelsea to extra-time in Saturday’s 4-2 FA Cup defeat as a run of three consecutive wins came to a halt, costing them a chance to go fifth themselves and leaving them only three points above Derby albeit with a game in hand.
They were without top scorer Kieffer Moore, ruled out with a hamstring injury suffered against Chelsea which could mean the 33-year-old misses Wales’ World Cup qualifying playoff against Bosnia and Herzegovina on March 26.
That was not the only after-effect of Saturday’s 120-minute thriller as Hull looked much the brighter of the two sides.
Their first real chance was a gift as Cody Drameh picked off a poor pass from Zak Vyner before Callum Doyle scrambled back to deflect his shot on to the roof of the net, one of several times when Wrexham needlessly conceded possession in their own half.
The hosts did not threaten until the 27th minute when Ryan Longman charged forward to feed Josh Windass, but his shot from a difficult angle was parried by Ivor Pandur. Another decent Wrexham move ended with Vyner’s shot being deflected over, but Hull were soon celebrating.
Doyle charged into Charlie Hughes to concede a free kick and Gelhardt whipped it into the top corner despite a hand from Arthur Okonkwo.
Two minutes later Hull had a penalty as Gelhardt went down under Doyle’s challenge after a neat one-two with Oliver McBurnie, but Gelhardt could not capitalise as Okonkwo was down smartly to his left to keep Wrexham in the game.
Phil Parkinson sent on Oliver Rathbone for Vyner at the break and Wrexham improved, but Hull doubled their lead just after the hour following a swift counter-attack.
Koumas led a charge downfield which ended with Okonkwo keeping out Liam Millar’s shot. From the resulting corner, Millar whipped in a cross and Koumas nodded in.
Wrexham got back in the game with 14 minutes left when substitute Issa Kaboré sent in a looping cross and Broadhead arrived on cue to turn it home.
Broadhead might have levelled in the 84th minute when a corner fell his way at the back post but, off-balance, he lofted the ball in the air and Hull hung on.
