Wrexham A.F.C. Manager Phil Parkinson has strongly criticised a refereeing decision in Saturday's Welsh derby, claiming Swansea City captain Ben Cabango should have been sent off. The incident, a 77th-minute challenge on Wrexham's new signing Callum O'Hare, was only deemed worthy of a yellow card by referee Ben Toner, a decision that left Parkinson furious. The manager made his comments following the 0-0 draw.
Parkinson's side currently sit 11th in the Championship with 5 points from their opening four games, a record of one win, two draws and one loss. Their next test is a home fixture against Burnley on Tuesday, an important match as they look to build momentum.
Parkinson did not hold back in his assessment of Cabango's tackle on O'Hare, who was making his debut after a £6.5 million deadline-day move from Sheffield United. The Wrexham boss argued that the Swansea defender had already been involved in an off-the-ball incident with Kieffer Moore before the foul. "I know we want to protect our players but, when someone flies in at that speed, that could have been a leg-breaking challenge," Parkinson said. He also referenced a previous decision by the same official, noting that referee Toner had sent off Callum Doyle against Oxford United last season for a similar tackle.
Swansea manager Vitor Matos offered a starkly different perspective, choosing to sidestep the controversy entirely. When asked about Parkinson's comments, Matos stated, "I never comment on ref decisions, in one way or the other. If he [Parkinson] says that, good for him." His focus remained on his team's performance, which kept them unbeaten and top of the early Championship table.
The immediate consequence was that Callum O'Hare, who had just come on as a substitute, was forced off the pitch soon after the challenge. Following the match, O'Hare revealed that Cabango had told him he "didn't touch" him during the tackle, a claim that clearly contradicts the visual evidence and the referee's decision to award a foul. The match ended in a share of the points, with Wrexham having secured their first win of the season in a midweek victory at Millwall prior to this derby clash.
Attention now turns swiftly to a packed schedule. After hosting 23rd-placed Burnley on Tuesday, Wrexham face a trip to face West Ham United on Friday. The team has scored 6 goals and conceded 4 so far this campaign, giving them a positive goal difference of +2. Parkinson will hope the controversy from the Swansea match does not distract from the task ahead as they aim to climb the table. The full squad available for these games can be viewed on our squad page. Their next Championship fixture is at home to Burnley on September 8th.
