The Winners and Losers From Wrexham’s First Preseason Match

Phil Parkinson’s Red Dragons opened their summer schedule with a draw against Wisła Kraków.

Phil Parkinson got a good look at his squad in the first preseason match. | Marcin Golba/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Wrexham began their preseason campaign with an encouraging scoreless draw against Wisła Kraków over the weekend.

Phil Parkinson’s side more than held its own in Poland, with Arthur Okonkwo saving a second-half penalty to preserve a deserved draw. It was a productive start to the summer, as 22 players got valuable minutes against a team already playing its fourth preseason friendly.

Much tougher tests await, with four matches against Premier League opposition still to come before Wrexham return to competitive action next month. Even so, Parkinson will be pleased with the foundations his side laid in Kraków, despite some mixed individual performances.

Here are the early winners and losers from Wrexham’s first preseason outing.

---

Winner: Davis Keillor-Dunn

Keillor-Dunn is in his second spell with Wrexham. | Marcin Golba/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Wrexham paid an initial $2.7 million to sign Davis Keillor-Dunn from Barnsley during the January transfer window, but his first few months at the club raised plenty of questions. He logged just 117 league minutes across six substitute appearances and quickly slipped to fifth in the pecking order for the attacking midfield positions.

Sports Illustrated revealed last month that Parkinson intended to give Keillor-Dunn every opportunity to impress during preseason despite growing transfer interest. He took that opportunity against Wisła Kraków.

The 28-year-old linked play well, worked tirelessly out of possession and constantly looked to make things happen in the final third. It served as a timely reminder of his quality and suggested he could still play an important role this season despite his slow start at the Racecourse Ground.

---

Loser: Conor Coady

Coady played just six times for Wrexham last season. | Marcin Golba/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Eleven months ago, Wrexham’s move for Conor Coady looked like a major statement signing. Now, it risks becoming one of the club’s most disappointing pieces of business. Limited to just six senior appearances before joining Charlton Athletic on loan in January, the former England international appears destined to leave again this summer.

The frustrating part is that Coady remains an outstanding leader and consummate professional. He impressed during his previous loan spell in a defensive midfield role, albeit with a Championship club facing far less pressure than Wrexham. Against Wisła, however, he returned to his preferred center back position and never looked entirely comfortable.

It was only a preseason friendly, but Coady appeared short of sharpness and struggled to fit naturally into Parkinson’s defensive system. His situation is another reminder that even the most exciting transfers carry risk, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to see a route back into Wrexham’s plans.

---

Winner: Zak Vyner

Vyner made his first Wrexham appearance as a center back. | Marcin Golba/NurPhoto/Getty Images

On the subject of defenders playing in midfield last season, Zak Vyner experienced the opposite of Coady’s situation. After arriving from Bristol City in January, Vyner was used primarily in midfield before an injury cut his season short. Against Wisła, he finally got the opportunity to play in his natural center back role—and immediately showed why Wrexham wanted him.

The 29-year-old delivered an assured, commanding display, defending aggressively while also showcasing his ability to play out from the back. Comfortable in possession and composed under pressure, Vyner looked tailor-made for Parkinson’s back three.

Wrexham originally targeted Vyner before pivoting to Dom Hyam last summer, and his performance in Kraków suggested he will push hard for a starting place. If anything, it served as an early warning to the club’s other center backs that he is far more than just squad depth.

---

Loser: Ryan Hardie

Hardie quickly fell out of favor under Phil Parkinson. | Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images

Wrexham used 22 senior players against Wisła Kraków. Ryan Hardie was not one of them.
Despite arriving only a year ago as Wrexham’s first signing following promotion to the Championship, the 29-year-old already appears to be heading for the exit.

Hardie traveled with the squad but remained on the bench throughout, even after Parkinson made wholesale changes at halftime. That felt particularly telling considering players such as Elliot Lee, Ryan Barnett and Conor Coady—all of whom face uncertain futures—were still given opportunities.

He currently sits behind Kieffer Moore and Sam Smith at striker, while Bailey Cadamarteri, Davis Keillor-Dunn, Harry Ashfield, Josh Windass and Nathan Broadhead all offer additional competition in attacking roles.

With another forward still expected to arrive before the transfer window closes, it is becoming increasingly difficult to see where Hardie fits into Wrexham’s plans.

---

Winner: Alex Moore

Moore took his chance playing in a new role. | Marcin Golba/NurPhoto/Getty Images

Wrexham brought several academy prospects to Kraków, but teenager Alex Moore was the only one to earn minutes.

The 19-year-old, naturally a central midfielder, was deployed as a makeshift wingback and produced one of the most encouraging performances of the afternoon. He played with maturity, discipline and plenty of energy despite operating in an unfamiliar role.

“Particular credit to Alex Moore,” Parkinson said after the match. “We put him in an unfamiliar position, and I thought he was superb.”

Following a productive loan spell with Colwyn Bay earlier this year, Moore is expected to spend another season away from Wrexham to continue his development.

While his immediate future likely lies elsewhere, his performance suggested he remains firmly part of the club’s long-term plans. It also reinforced a recurring theme under Parkinson: if a young player is good enough and works hard enough, opportunities will come.

---

Loser: Wingback Depth

Barnett is expected to leave Wrexham this summer. | Marcin Golba/NurPhoto/Getty Images

If there was one position that highlighted Wrexham’s need for reinforcements, it was wingback.

The club chose not to make Issa Kaboré’s loan move permanent after last season, while Liberato Cacace’s debut campaign was disrupted by injuries that limited him to just 13 appearances.

That left Parkinson relying on Ryan Longman, Ryan Barnett, George Thomason and Moore in Kraków, with none naturally suited to the role.

Longman is expected to remain as a useful squad option, while Thomason can provide emergency cover on the left. Barnett and Moore, however, should both depart in the window.

The senior wingbacks struggled to make much of an impact, with limited attacking quality and inconsistent delivery in the final third. There is still plenty of time left in the transfer window, but Saturday’s performance was another reminder that wingback remains Wrexham’s biggest priority before the new season begins.

---