Man Utd 1 Wrexham 3: Red Devils outmuscled and booed as United keeper’s challenge leaves Paul Mullin with punctured lung
MANCHESTER UNITED were locked in a furious row with Wrexham after Paul Mullin suffered a punctured lung.
Wrexham star Mullin was the victim of a vicious challenge by Red Devils goalkeeper Nathan Bishop in the 12th minute of the game.
Bishop barged into Mullin who was through on goal leaving him flattened.
He needed oxygen and was taken to hospital.
Mullin later tweeted a selfie update from hospital, adding: “Thank you for all your message. All good here.”
And Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson was scathing of Bishop who was only booked and booed continuously up to half-time after the challenge.
Parkinson said: “I’m fuming about it, I’ve got to be honest with you. It was a clumsy, reckless, challenge in a pre-season game and I’m not happy with it at all.
“I haven’t seen the goalie and he’s probably best steering clear of us for the time being because we’re not very happy.
“It should have been a straight red. If it’s not denying a goal-scoring opportunity it’s still a dangerous challenge so if you add the two scenarios together he should have been off the pitch.
“It’s a dangerous challenge and obviously, Paul Mullin is our talisman. The way the lads responded after that I thought was outstanding. That’s what we’re all about as a group – resilience, sticking together.”
United were later furious to hear what Parkinson had said, believing he was inflaming the situation and risking social media abuse for Bishop.
They believe it was an honest mistake by a young goalkeeper who did his best to apologise through Wrexham staff.
United’s under-21 manager Travis Binnion tried to defend Bishop for the challenge.
Binnion said: “It’s part and parcel of the game, nobody wants to see anyone get injured. He’s made an honest challenge, he’s come off worse. He’s already reached out to him.
“Booing him, it is what it is. He’s tried to reach out. He’s a great lad Bish, he hasn’t got a bad bone in his body.”
Wrexham owner Ryan Reynolds later praised Mullin, saying on Twitter: “Paul Mullin puts his last drop of blood into everything he does. The entire Wrexham community is pulling for a speedy recovery.”
In what was supposed to be a pre-season ‘friendly’ United’s second string also had their captain on the night Dan Gore red carded for a reckless challenge on Andy Cannon two minutes into the second-half
This was not the night that the Manchester United brand thrilled San Diego.
Quite what a stadium record 34,248 thought when the team was read out is open to conjecture.
The green and white second strip won’t be flying off the shelves either.
Who thought that one up?
The fact that the name ‘Jonny Evans’ got the biggest cheer tells you everything about the line-up.
The rest had everyone reaching for Wikipedia.
This fixture was announced in March which had fans over here rushing to shell out in the region of 150 dollars for tickets to see their heroes like Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes.
Then the fixture against Real Madrid was revealed in May to be played the following day in Houston.
That meant a largely under-21 team would be playing here against a strong Wrexham side just as the first team was flying out to face the Spanish giant.
The crowd were behind the second-division side from the moment of Bishop’s fouled that got just a yellow and cheered as they took the lead on 29 minutes when Elliot Lee turned the ball home from close range.
Father Rob of Newcastle United fame will have been celebrating.
The second arrived on 36 minutes.
Ben Tozer’s long throw was flicked on by Aaron Hayden and Max Cleworth headed home at the back post.
United did get one back in first-half injury time through Marc Jurado’s side-footed volley finish.
Wrexham increased their lead in the 69th minute through a diving header at the far post from Sam Malby who met Jacob Mendy’s fine cross.
That was that.
The United players did a lap of thanks a couple of minutes after the final whistle.
The Stadium was very much empty by then.