Wrexham 1-1 Burnley: Ekomié's header earns a fourth draw in six

Burnley led at the Racecourse Ground from the 26th minute: Largie Ramazani slipped Zeki Amdouni in behind, and the Burnley forward finished past Anthony Patterson in the Wrexham goal. Wrexham's answer came ten minutes into the second half. Issa Kaboré crossed from the right on 55 minutes and Jacques Ekomié powered the header in, the two wing backs Wrexham signed on the same day last month combining for the goal that saved the point. It is the fourth of Wrexham's six league games to finish level, and this was the one that got away.

Phil Parkinson, the Wrexham manager, had made five changes from Saturday's goalless draw at Swansea City, and he lost another. Max Cleworth went off injured on 30 minutes for Zak Vyner, then Callum O'Hare and Ollie Rathbone went on together at half time, for Josh Windass and Lewis O'Brien, and Sam Smith replaced Kieffer Moore on 61. Wrexham held 52% of the ball to Burnley's 48% without being the busier side: Burnley had 19 shots to Wrexham's 15, on the provider's count. Eight of those 19 were Zeki Amdouni's alone, and the same provider rated the Burnley scorer 8.2, the best mark on the pitch. No Wrexham player managed more than three shots, and the three Ollie Rathbone took arrived in the 45 minutes he played off the bench. Jacques Ekomié won nine duels, more than any other player on the pitch. Kaboré was booked on 14 minutes and Dominic Hyam on 84. Jamie Vardy, signed by Burnley on Sunday, watched on at the Racecourse, suspended for yellow cards he collected at Cremonese in Italy last season.

Parkinson: respect the point

Parkinson gave his reaction to Sky Sports afterwards, neither club having posted written quotes of its own. "Let's not get too despondent," he said. "Burnley were in the Premier League last year, and they've had a bad start to the season but they've got some very good players." He would not have the point called a failure. "As much as we want to win it, I think the second-half performance was a lot better and I don't want to be too down about drawing against Burnley ... Respect the point. We'd have loved it to be three." He was plainer about how the win got away. "I thought the game was there for us to go and win it, I really did, and we just kind of got a bit scruffy in terms of our possession, gave the ball away a bit cheaply at times." Nicky Hayen, the Burnley head coach, told the same broadcaster that "a point is a fair result".

The following table comparisons describe the position after the 8 September matches. The draw leaves Wrexham on five goals conceded in six games, the joint third fewest in the Championship: only Swansea City, also from six games, and Queens Park Rangers, from five, have conceded fewer, on four each, and Middlesbrough are level with Wrexham on five from a game fewer. Wrexham's four draws are the joint most in the division, matched by Cardiff City over the same six games and by Birmingham City over five. Wrexham got closer to the goal than Burnley did and still could not force a second: 13 of Wrexham's 15 shots came from inside the box, against 10 of Burnley's 19, and Wrexham put 5 on target to Burnley's 4. Burnley leave with 13 conceded, the worst defensive record of the 24 clubs, and no win in six. West Ham United, top of the table, are next for Wrexham, away on Friday night.

Correction, 9 September 2026

Correction, 9 September 2026: an earlier version said Jacques Ekomié won eight duels, more than any other Wrexham player. He won nine, which was more than any player on either side, and the figure beside it in the match leaders panel said so. Corrected above.

Correction, 9 September 2026: an earlier version said Max Cleworth's withdrawal on 30 minutes was one of Phil Parkinson's changes. He went off injured. The same version spelled Ollie Rathbone as Oliver.

Update, 10 September 2026: we removed a sentence implying the next match could not finish level. The league comparisons describe the table after the 8 September games.