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Wrexham slipped to second in the League One table on Saturday after they played out a goalless draw with Leyton Orient in east London while Birmingham City went top following a dramatic win over Peterborough United.
Goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo kept his fifth clean sheet of the season in the stalemate as Wrexham struggled to impose themselves on an Orient team that began the day 16th in the table.
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson opted to select Jack Marriott over Paul Mullin up front, but his team struggled to carry a threat in attacking areas, with their seven shots bettered by Orient’s nine on a day when the two teams’ respective defences dominated.
James Baylis – AMA/Getty Images
The Welsh club, who are co-owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, have enjoyed a positive start to their first season in the third tier of English football following their promotion last season, going unbeaten in their first five matches before succumbing to a 3-1 away defeat to Birmingham on Sep. 16.
Birmingham, who count NFL legend Tom Brady among their investors, spent lavishly in the summer transfer window in order to acquire a calibre of player who they felt could get them promoted back to the Championship at the first time of asking following their relegation last season.
The supposed rivalry between the two clubs was stoked ahead of their meeting at St. Andrews when Wrexham drafted in Eli Manning as a fan. Manning beat Brady’s New England Patriots in two Super Bowls as quarterback of the New York Giants.
Brady responded with a well-mannered boast about his own Super Bowl successes.
Wrexham travel to face Stevenage in their next League One fixture on Tuesday.