STARS ABROAD: Harambee Stars defender features as Wrexham suffer defeat to Watford
Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 18.03.26. | 10:03
Despite their improved play, the Red Dragons were unable to convert late opportunities, leaving Watford to preserve their playoff hopes with a valuable home win
Harambee Stars defender Zak Vyner featured for 88 minutes as Wrexham suffered a 3-1 defeat away to Watford at Vicarage Road, ending their six-game unbeaten run on the road and denting their English Football League (EFL) Championship play-off aspirations.
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Marc Bola’s deflected strike opened the scoring in the 18th minute, before Edo Kayembe curled home Watford’s second just before halftime. Wrexham pulled one back shortly after the restart through Max Cleworth’s glancing header, but Edoardo Bove sealed the victory in stoppage time.
Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson acknowledged the team’s second-half resurgence but stressed that mistakes in the first half proved costly.
“We gave the ball away cheaply in the first half against a counter-attacking team, which we knew could punish us on transitions. Second half, we pinned them in, had great shape in attack, and controlled the game much better,” Parkinson said.
He added, “It was a brilliant second half; the ball just didn’t drop for us to get that second goal. We were consistent in our play, switched the ball well, got our wing-backs into good positions, but couldn’t find the moment to score the equaliser.
Credit to the lads for their effort against a quality Watford side.”
Looking ahead, Parkinson said Wrexham will aim to respond when they host Sheffield United on Saturday to maintain their top-six position: “We’ll digest this game, recover, and prepare to respond. The performance in the second half gives us confidence to bounce back.”
Vyner was substituted in the 88th minute for Jay Rodriguez as Wrexham pushed forward in search of an equaliser. Despite their improved play, the Red Dragons were unable to convert late opportunities, leaving Watford to preserve their playoff hopes with a valuable home win.
The defender, who was born in England, is set to make his Harambee Stars debut this month after being named in Kenya’s squad for the FIFA Series tournament in Rwanda.
The Stars will face Estonia on Friday, 27 March, followed by a clash against either Rwanda or Grenada on Monday, 30 March.
