Wrexham were shocked in the first round of the FA Cup and lost to fourth division side Harrogate Town after failing to score in 21 shots.

The match was thought to be one of the most lopsided games in the first round, with Wrexham recently in third place in League One and Harrogate in 17th place in League Two. Wrexham ruled the sport as expected, with a 62% ownership and outscoring the opposition 21-9, achieving 2.41 expected goals to Harrogate’s 0.43.

However, Wrexham’s inability to score meant Harrogate could gain advantages by scoring with their only shot in the right direction. Jack Muldoon scored the only goal of the game in the 24th, his second goal of the season. It was also his best shot of the game during his 86-minute appearance.

The Welsh team had had a solid season since being promoted to League One, which marked consecutive promotions partly fueled by funding from actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The team was playing in England’s semi-professional leagues when they bought the club in November 2020 and have been on an upward trajectory since.

They made a pretty deep run in the FA Cup peak season when they were still in League Two. They reached the fourth round and took control when Andy Cannon scored in the lowly 19th, although Championship team Blackburn Rovers won 4-1.

Wrexham will play again when they face Mansfield City on Saturday, hoping to continue their confident start to the campaign and likely challenge for promotion to the Championship, England’s second tier.