Championship Play-off Race To Go 'to The Wire'

ByIan Mitchelmore

BBC Sport Wales

George Thomason believes nan Championship play-off title will spell "down to nan wire" aft Wrexham suffered a setback astatine Watford.

The Red Dragons' six-game unbeaten distant tally came to an extremity arsenic they were beaten 3-1 by nan Hornets connected Tuesday.

Despite nan loss, Phil Parkinson's men stay successful nan apical six, though seventh-placed Southampton person a crippled successful manus and look Norwich City connected Wednesday.

And midfielder Thomason - presently operating astatine near wing-back - has urged his team-mates to "attack" nan last 8 games of nan campaign.

"I person nary uncertainty that each squad pushing for nan play-offs is going to person their ain bumps successful nan roadworthy travel nan extremity of nan season," said Thomason.

"I'd ideate it goes correct down to nan ligament and it's not going to beryllium soft sailing for each team."

Thomason says nan unpredictability of nan 2nd tier is nan "beauty of nan division".

"Anyone tin hit anyone. The squad that strings a spot of consistency together, particularly astatine this clip of nan season, will beryllium nan ones that will astir apt sneak themselves successful there," he added.

"There's a chasing pack, there's a small battalion that's already successful and amongst it and we're nan ones occupying nan sixth spot successful nan section astatine nan moment.

"I'd opportunity nan connection is not to beryllium fearful, conscionable spell and onslaught it."

A sloppy first-half show ultimately proved costly astatine Watford arsenic Wrexham mislaid an distant lucifer for nan first clip successful 2026 contempt their important second-half improvement.

And Thomason feels his broadside were taught a "harsh lesson" astatine Vicarage Road.

"We astir apt mislaid it connected our ain mistakes and [it was our] responsibility really. Nothing to do pinch an effort constituent of view, much of a method constituent of view," he added.

"In nan first half, I thought we were a small spot loose successful possession. We played against a squad that were really bully connected nan modulation and counter-attacking moments.

"When you suffer possession and get punished and concede 2 goals, it's difficult to conflict backmost from."

Max Cleworth pulled a extremity backmost for Wrexham early successful nan 2nd half astatine Watford, but Parkinson's broadside were incapable to find an equaliser.

Any dream of avoiding conclusion was wiped retired erstwhile Edoardo Bove scored nan hosts' 3rd extremity successful stoppage time.

"I thought we were going to drawback a 2nd [goal] to beryllium adjacent but it conscionable ne'er came and evidently they people their 3rd and hide nan crippled successful nan 94th minute," Thomason said.

"But I'm really proud of nan boys' exertion and effort. I thought we each near it retired location and connected different time we spell and get thing from nan game.

"I deliberation that's conscionable nan harsh lessons of nan Championship. You can't spend to spell 2 goals down, location aliases away, and conflict backmost each azygous time."

Wrexham return to action pinch different distant crippled astatine Sheffield United connected Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Blades are 10 points adrift of nan play-off places successful 15th.