Phil Parkinson stood in the tunnel at Pride Park, arms folded, watching his players celebrate in front of 800 travelling Welsh fans. Two hundred and fifty games in charge of Wrexham. Four consecutive victories. One point off the playoff places.
Not bad for a club that was languishing in the National League just three years ago.
"To get to 250 at any club, I'm very proud of that because management is hard," Parkinson admitted afterwards. "But I'm really enjoying my time here. We've got great owners and I enjoy every single day."
The 2-1 win over Derby was Wrexham in microcosm: Sam Smith's predatory finish, Ben Brereton-Diaz's rapid equaliser for the hosts, then Matty James curling in a 20-yard beauty three minutes after the restart. Organised. Clinical. Relentless.
Derby's interim boss Paul Warne was philosophical in defeat: "This group of players will never give up. The way we lost was disappointing in the decision-making, but they show commitment and desire."
The Rams sit 11th with 35 points. Respectable enough. But Wrexham's trajectory feels different — upward, unstoppable, and with Hollywood backing to boot.
Birmingham rattle Coventry, and the title race gets interesting
The West Midlands derby rarely disappoints. St Andrew's was rocking. Birmingham hadn't won in seven games. Coventry were top of the league but wobbling — three matches without a victory, confidence draining by the week.
What happened next defied the form book.
Birmingham 3-2 Coventry. Seven-game winless streak: ended. The Sky Blues' hopes of a comfortable title procession: dented.
Coventry have now lost ground to Middlesbrough, who responded to their own crisis in emphatic fashion. More on that shortly.
At Loftus Road, QPR administered a lesson to Sheffield Wednesday. The 3-0 scoreline flatters the visitors slightly, but the Owls' problems run deeper than a single afternoon's humiliation. An 18-point deduction — 12 for filing for administration in October, another six for failing to meet payment obligations in December — has condemned them to the bottom of the table.
Their players are trying. Their manager is trying. But the numbers don't lie.
Hellberg's Boro roar back to life
Four games without scoring. Four games without winning. Kim Hellberg's Middlesbrough were in freefall heading into Sunday's clash with Southampton.
Ninety minutes later, it was 4-0.
Morgan Whittaker bagged a brace. Sammy Silvera's touch and finish for the second was exquisite. Alan Browne tapped in the fourth after Gavin Bazunu had denied Hayden Hackney. The Riverside roared.
"This win is about the players, characters, how I see them work at the training ground," Hellberg said. "They have lifted each other, stayed positive. The second half was an unbelievable performance."
Debutant Adilson Malanda, signed from Charlotte FC and only cleared to play hours before kick-off, made two goal-saving blocks in a man-of-the-match performance. Southampton boss Tonda Eckert was left to lament an offside controversy for the opening goal that changed the game's complexion.
"The first goal changed everything, changed confidence," Eckert said. "From what I have heard, it was a clear offside decision. The second half of the game was not good enough."
Southampton have now gone six matches without a win. Their Premier League return feels a long way off.
The rest of matchday 26
Preston's 2-0 win at Bristol City extended their unbeaten run to nine league games, though manager Paul Heckingbottom will know ten draws in that period has cost his side valuable ground in the automatic promotion race.
Norwich's struggles continued with a 2-0 home defeat to Stoke. The Canaries sit 17th now, looking over their shoulders more than at the horizon. Millwall edged past Swansea 2-1 at The Den, while Blackburn and Charlton played out a 2-2 draw that satisfied neither.
Two fixtures — Sheffield United vs Oxford and Hull vs Watford — were postponed, adding to an already congested fixture list.
The picture at the top
Coventry remain leaders with 52 points, but their cushion has shrunk. Middlesbrough are six points back with momentum. Burnley, Sheffield United, and a cluster of others lurk in the shadows, waiting for further slip-ups.
And Wrexham? They're seventh now, with 40 points and an FA Cup third-round tie against Nottingham Forest next week. The Hollywood script continues to write itself.
"When you reach those milestones, it's always great if you can celebrate with a victory," Parkinson said of his 250th game.
Victory, it seems, is becoming a habit in North Wales.
