Wrexham shocked in FA Cup first round, lose to fourth-tier Harrogate Town after not scoring on 21 shots

Wrexham's hopes of a deep cup run like last year's were dashed on Sunday when they lost 1-0 to League Two side Harrogate Town in the first round of the FA Cup.

The fixture was considered one of the more mismatched Games in the first round, with Wrexham currently third place in League One and Harrogate ranked 17th in League Two. Wrexham dominated the Game as expected, boasting 62% possession and outshooting the opposition 21-9, mustering 2.41 expected goals to Harrogate's 0.43.

Wrexham's inability to score, though, meant Harrogate could benefit by scoring on their lone shot on target. Jack Muldoon scored the game's lone goal in the 24th minute, his second goal of the season. It was also his only shot of the game during his 86-minute appearance.

The Welsh side have been off to a strong season since being promoted to League One, which marked back-to-back promotions in part fueled by the investment of actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. The team was playing in England's semi-professional leagues when they bought the club in Nov. 2020, and they have have been on an upward trajectory since.

They made a fairly deep run in the FA Cup last season when they were still in League Two. They went as far as the fourth round and took the lead when Andy Cannon scored in the 19th minute, though Championship side Blackburn Rovers went on to win 4-1.

Wrexham return to play when they face Mansfield Town on Saturday when they hope to continue their positive start to the campaign and perhaps aim for promotion to the Championship, England's second division.