Phil Parkinson insists the FA Cup is part of Wrexham’s journey after the Hollywood-owned club upstaged Shrewsbury in the Anglo-Welsh cross-border derby.
Tom O’Connor scored his first goal since the fourth round of last season’s competition with a deflected shot on 72 minutes that looped past Salop goalkeeper Marko Marosi.
Red Dragons boss Parkinson hopes to draw a big team at home in the next round of the competition after the League Two side dispatched League One opposition.
‘The FA Cup is part of the journey we’re on, there will be a lot of people remembering this for a long time because it’s a very important win for our supporters.
Thomas O’Connor’s deflected second-half goal booked Wrexham’s place in the FA Cup fourth round
‘I’d love a home tie [in the next round] against a big team, the atmosphere at the Racecourse is fantastic.
‘It was toe-to-toe, two teams on equal motivation levels and giving absolutely everything, I’m delighted we’ve come out on top in the end.
‘The lads completely understood what they were representing, the league is key, but we’ll always embrace the FA Cup.’
Shrewsbury spurned a number of chances to win the game as Mal Benning hit the crossbar while Taylor Perry fired wide when well-placed in injury time.
Shrews boss Matt Taylor said: ‘The big chances we had, we didn’t take, that killer instinct at the top of the pitch is missing.’We created enough chances to win three games, we’re trying to recruit number nine’s because if we do that and we score goals, we’re a really good team.
‘We still need, and I think it’s obvious for everybody to see the area of the pitch in which we’re lacking, somebody at the top of the pitch.’
Tunmise Sobowale had a golden opportunity to give hosts an early lead but his shot went wide
Taylor Perry also let a strong chance to give his side the lead pass him by in the early going
Shrewsbury started the better of the two teams as Perry saw his shot held by Wrexham stopper Arthur Okonkwo.
The home side went close moments later when Cheyenne Dunkley’s shot deflected inches past the post as League Two high-flyers Wrexham survived an early scare.
Wrexham failed to test Salop goalkeeper Marko Marosi at all in the first half as Paul Mullin’s wild effort from distance sailed harmlessly into the stand behind the goal.
Salop should have taken the lead soon after only for Tunmise Sobowale to blaze over from four-yards out after Jordan Shipley delivered an excellent cross into the box.
Shrews picked up where they left off after the break as Perry’s half-volley from the edge of the penalty area travelled a couple of yards over the bar.
The visitors finally forced Marosi into a save at the other end as the Salop keeper made a smart stop low down to his left.
Shrewsbury were then denied the opening goal by the woodwork as Benning curled a stunning outside of the boot effort against the crossbar.
Wrexham spurned a decent chance of their own soon after with Elliot Lee unable to keep his first time shot down from 10-yards out.
However, the visitors eventually broke the deadlock on 72 minutes when O’Connor’s shot deflected in off Dunkley from Sam Dalby’s pass.
Phil Parkinson’s side grew into the game against their League One opposition as it progressed
Elliot Lee had a chance to put the Red Dragons ahead but was unable to direct his effort goalward
Wrexham continued their hunt for an opening goal and O’Connor deflected effort gave them just that
Salop threw everything at Wrexham in injury time as Perry somehow dragged an effort wide from eight-yards out.
The same player then drilled narrowly wide moments as the visitors held on to upset their higher division opponents.
Wrexham claimed a first victory at the home of their rivals since April 2007 as the Red Dragons look to go beyond the fourth round of the competition for the first time since 1996/97.
Defeat for Shrewsbury was their first at the hands of lower league opposition since the 2012/13 season.
