Phil Parkinson has dropped a Kieffer Moore injury update following the Preston North End victory that Wrexham fans wanted to hear.
Sounds amusingly funny, but winning their Championship games has come easier to Wrexham than surviving the aftermath nowadays. And though it’s a relatively new trend, it’s been on the rise game after game.
Remember the Boxing Day win? With Kieffer Moore scoring the match-winning brace, he was the protagonist of Chris Wilder’s post-match speech. Again, nothing bad about it, but it made the expectations go over the moon for him against Preston.
You’d agree that Heckingbottom’s speech still impacted Wrexham fans late, for they knew a bombshell in Moore’s injury awaited them post-game.
Narrating the unfortunate scene you would have replayed 1000 times already, Moore picked up a hamstring after delivering an impeccable cross for Broadhead’s opener. If being ruled out when looking at his best wasn’t Moore’s biggest woe, seeing him sidelined against his favourite opponent, PNE, definitely saddened the fans’ mood.
Robbed of 45 minutes to contest for the Championship top scorer, Wrexham’s win felt like a lifeless 3-points in the bag without Moore finishing the contest.
Couple it with Troy Deeney’s gut-wrenching verdict, and despite consecutive wins, the celebrations have been compromised by the fans.
Phil Parkinson’s Moore update saves the day
Living the stressful way in a festive season is never a pleasant idea for a passionate fanbase like that of Wrexham. And while not old enough to play Santa, look what boss Parky just dropped as a present for the fans.
Addressing the supporters, Parkinson played down the serious concerns about Moore’s injury. As quoted by the Leader Live, he said: “It doesn’t look too serious.”
While barely a 5-word message, it’s enough to cheer the lot of fans wishing to see more of Moore’s mavericks as he looked at his best again. Agreed, this adds to Wrexham’s season injury list, but still, the optimism can be felt for Moore’s return as soon as possible.
Now, being a fellow fan myself, the ideal verdict could be to vouch for Big Kieff starting back on New Year’s. However, practically, that remains a fairytale speculation even if it sounds too blunt.
If you recall, Moore sustained a hamstring injury in November, too. Coincidentally, boss Parkinson had a very similar verdict on the 33-year-old’s injury, but that didn’t spare him from spending the next game on the sidelines.
This could only worsen in Wrexham’s action-packed schedule, possibly ruling out Moore for a couple of games, too.
Wrexham’s best attack without Kieffer Moore
One would need to be a Moore hater not to acknowledge him as the best Wrexham forward recently. No discredit to Broadhead & Windass, who’ve been exceptional, but Moore’s been the glue connecting the club’s attack.
To say the Welshman’s absence wouldn’t hurt would be a fallacy of the first order, but Wrexham can seek ways to survive without him.
Hands down, every fan who followed Wrexham’s second half yesterday would hail Sam Smith’s cameo. Despite having seen game time come scarce, the 27-year-old banged on creating chances after chances, even seeing a header come off the post.
Smith’s last start dates back to the Ipswich game that Moore missed for his hamstring issues. Now, time’s calling Smith to resolve a similar situation once again. Maybe he goes goalless again, but it would be exciting to see him leading the attack with Broadhead & Windass.
Ask me, and this Smith-Broadhead-Windass trio ought to be Wrexham’s priority next game, but they could be creative to test another scenario.
How about Broadhead & Windass leading the attack with Ollie Rathbone just behind? Having scored 2 goals in the super-sub role since his injury return, Rathbone’s definitely a strong contender whom Parky can trust in Moore’s absence. Who knows if the move turns out to be a masterclass in experiment, as happened with Thomason as a wing-back.
Again, Moore’s stature has him irreplacable, but Wrexham possesses the attacking depth to cater to his absence. Let’s see what boss Parky decides, but you’d not want to get upset, hoping for Moore to start the next game.
