Sheffield United cut down Wrexham as Auston Trusty leads stirring fightback

Following a summer full of chaos and unpredictability at Bramall Lane – and there are still more challenges ahead – Chris Wilder could not have asked for a more perfect start to the season in the Championship for Sheffield United.

Wilder admitted that his team was not at the desired level before their first Championship game against Preston last weekend. With sixteen senior players missing and only a few replacements, the takeover issue continues to prolong, causing uncertainty for the team.

However, Wilder consistently excels in leadership - especially at this club, which he cherishes deeply - by surpassing what is expected. The initial signs are very positive, as a well-earned victory against Preston was followed by an easy qualification to the next round of the Carabao Cup.

Wrexham proved to be a difficult opponent for Sheffield United, as they had faced them in the FA Cup a few seasons ago. The previous matches were filled with intense moments and controversy. However, this time, there was no drama as United managed to come back from a slow start and being behind to win convincingly.

Charlie Adam's Fleetwood Town had a surprising 2-1 victory against West Brom in the first round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday. The team from League Two secured a memorable win with first-half goals from Ryan Graydon and Ronan Coughlan, after Modou Faal had initially put West Brom in the lead.

Watford won 5-0 against MK Dons, with Tom Ince scoring three goals. Blackburn also had a big win, beating Stockport 6-1 with Sammie Szmodics scoring two goals. Preston defeated Sunderland 2-0 in their first game without manager Ryan Lowe. Coventry secured a victory against Bristol City at Ashton Gate with Ellis Simms scoring the only goal of the match.

Norwich had a tough match against Stevenage, but managed to win 4-3 at Carrow Road with Onel Hernández scoring two goals. QPR also held on for a 2-1 victory against Cambridge, while Cardiff defeated Bristol Rovers 2-0 at home. Birmingham, despite being down to 10 men, secured a 1-0 win over Charlton thanks to Brandon Kehla's goal at the Valley.

Wimbledon defeated League Two newcomers Bromley 2-1, thanks to goals from Josh Kelly and Joe Pigott. The hosts had initially taken the lead with Levi Amantchi scoring in the first half. In another match, Derby narrowly won their local showdown against returning Football League team Chesterfield 2-1, with Kayden Jackson sealing the victory with a goal in the second half.

During a night filled with over 100 goals, some matches were decided by penalty shootouts. Barnsley emerged victorious over Wigan with a score of 4-2. Bolton managed to defeat Mansfield 5-4 on penalties and League Two's Colchester eliminated Reading with a 4-3 win on spot-kicks. Grimsby also came out on top against Bradford with a 9-8 victory after a lengthy shootout.

"I'm really happy. Last night was great for us," Wilder explained. "I appreciated the way the team handled setbacks, especially when we fell behind in goals. We had to stay calm and focused. Things got easier in the second half and I'm thrilled that we were able to score. We definitely earned the victory."

More positive developments are coming for the club. Plymouth's goalkeeper Michael Cooper and Crystal Palace's Jesurun Rak-Sakyi were both present at Bramall Lane and are set to join the club soon. This will help bolster Wilder's squad, which is full of skill but needs more depth.

Wilder and Parkinson each made 21 different adjustments to their teams since their first victories of the season. Wrexham's James McClean was the only player who remained in the starting lineup. The game had a slow pace during the first half, but it was Wrexham who scored first when Will Boyle converted a corner kick from McClean.

Wilder had to make a lot of changes before the game, which made you question if his young team could be at risk of losing. However, they played well and managed to equalize before half-time, thanks to Auston Trusty's header that was ruled to have gone in.

If the first part was messy, the second part was more clear in the host's favor as they started to win the game at home. Lewis Brunt accidentally scored a goal in his own net after Rhian Brewster passed the ball towards him, and shortly after that, Brewster missed a penalty shot that was saved by Callum Burton. Luckily, Louie Marsh was there to score the rebound.

The match took a turn when Anis Ben Slimane scored from a short distance, changing the dynamic of the game from balanced to heavily in favor of the Championship team. Despite this, Wrexham, known for their resilience since moving up in the leagues, did not give up easily.

They fought hard until the end and were rewarded when Sebastian Revan scored a goal to make the scoreline more respectable. Now, their focus will shift towards trying to achieve a third promotion in a row and continue to build on their win against Wycombe last weekend.

"A majority of our players needed the match tonight to increase their playing time," Parkinson stated. "Although their goal boosted their morale and they performed strongly in the second half, we should give them credit. However, we persevered and we recognize that we need to improve our defense at certain points in the game. Unfortunately, we did not win, but the players gave their best effort."