The Tigers led 3-1 going into stoppage time at the Racecourse Ground
Hull City looked to be cruising into the second round of the Carabao Cup with a 3-1 lead going into added time, only to concede twice in the space of a minute as Ollie Palmer headed in twice to draw 3-3 and send an absorbing tie to penalties, which the hosts won 5-3.
Jack Marriott scored the winning penalty to make it five from five as Joel Ndala’s kick that hit the bar was enough to send the Tigers out at the first round stage, despite having been in complete control and on their way into the next round.
Despite a strong start, City were a goal down just after the half-hour when they fell asleep at the back to allow James McClean to find Elliott Lee inside the left channel, and his shot deflected up and over debutant Dillon Phillips.
They responded well, though, and were level within five minutes when Cody Drameh surged down the right, exchanged passes with Joe Gelhardt and crossed for Oliver McBurnie to turn in at the near post in front of the away fans, and that was added to by Ndala and Matt Crooks, before a sensational collapse turned things on their head.
Jakirovic promised he would go strong and he certainly did. While the team showed six changes from the starting XI at Coventry City, there were starts for John Egan, Gelhardt and McBurnie, while Nathan Tinsdale was handed a full senior debut.
Dillon Phillips was also handed a first start in between the posts with Ivor Pandur dropping down to the bench, but Jakirovic took no chances with Semi Ajayi, who was left back in East Yorkshire to nurse a slight hamstring complaint.
City were dominant early on and playing with a confidence that we’ve seen throughout pre-season, with their best opening coming after 10 minutes when Ryan Giles’ pinpoint free-kick found the head of Egan to glance just wide following a foul on Palmer, who had looked lively early on.
The first period burst into life 19 minutes in when Phillips was forced into a smart save to thwart a shot from distance and then a close-range header as the hosts broke past the halfway line for the first time in the contest.
Almost immediately, at the other end, McBurnie’s trickery saw him fashion an opening for himself but Arthur Okonkwo was equal to it, beating away the shot. Just after the half-hour, the hosts were in front when Lee ghosted between Lundstram and Drameh to force a shot at goal which took a huge deflection to beat Phillips.
City responded well and were level five minutes later when Drameh surged forward, exchanged passes with Gelhardt and kept on going before crossing for McBurnie to turn in at the near post.
Straight from the restart in the second period, Lundstram had his pocket picked and ex-Tigers man Ryan Longman crossed for Ryan Hardie to angle a header well wide when he should really have done better. Okonkwo then did well to turn Palmer’s shot away after McBurnie had laid it off 20 yards out before Gelhardt was booked for his latest foul on McClean.
Palmer could have fired City into the lead just shy of the hour but again, Okonko was equal to it, albeit with anything but a convincing block. Jakirovic made a double change two minutes after the hour with Ndala and Crooks coming on for Tinsdale and Slater, as Ashfield angled a fine effort just over from the edge of the box.
Ex-City boss Parkinson made four changes with just over 20 left on the clock with Josh Windass, Jack Marriott, Ryan Barnett and Ollie Palmer all coming on.
The Tigers roared into the lead when Gelhardt teed up Ndala to slot home at the back post in the 70th minute. McBurnie’s work was done, and so too, Gelhardt moments later when they were replaced by Kyle Joseph and Abu Kamara.
It was 3-1 with 10 minutes to go when Palmer somehow squeezed the ball across the line from left to right and at the back post, Crooks poked in to seemingly seal it and spark a mass exodus from the Racecourse, before they all started flooding back in.
Then disaster struck. Two crosses and two goals in the space of a minute from Ollie Palmer sent the tie into penalties in what was a dramatic finish.
Kasey Palmer, Abu Kamara and Ryan Giles all scored, but Ndala’s effort cannoned back off the bar and Jack Marriott’s kick won it for Wrexham, to complete the proverbial Hollywood ending.
Wrexham: Okonkwo, James, Scarr, O’Connell, Longman, Evans, Lee, Ashfield, McClean, Hardie, Smith. Subs: Burton, Brunt, Barnett, Dobson, Cacace, O’Brien, Windass, Marriott, Palmer.
Hull City: Phillips, Giles, Hughes, Egan, Drameh, Slater, Lundstram, Palmer, Tinsdale, Gelhardt, McBurnie. Subs: Pandur, Kamara, Ndala, Joseph, Famewo, Crooks, Brown, Wadsworth, McCarthy.
Referee: Josh Smith
Attendance: 10,107 (1,111 from Hull City)
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