Manager Phil Parkinson said Wrexham’s season was “off and running” after their dramatic late comeback and penalty shootout victory over Hull in the Carabao Cup.
Veteran striker Ollie Palmer put doubt over his future aside by coming off the bench to score twice in stoppage time and snatch a 3-3 draw before the Red Dragons prevailed 5-3 on spot kicks.
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It was the Welsh side’s first home match of a new season in which they are playing in the second tier for the first time in more than 40 years.
Anticipation had been high but, after last weekend’s last-gasp defeat at Southampton, it took something extraordinary to avoid another anti-climax.
Parkinson said: “Well, first of all, we show that we never give up. I think the trait of the team and the club over the last three, four years is that.
“I think it’s good for the new lads to see that and to say that we’re going to go to the end.
“I feel we’ve got our season off and running. The subs and the penalties were brilliant and I’m so pleased for big Ollie because he’s a hero.”
Palmer, 33, played a key role in Wrexham’s rise from the National League, but fell down the pecking order in the latter stages of last season.
That has led to suggestions he could move on, but Parkinson retains huge respect for the former AFC Wimbledon forward.
Parkinson said: “He was fantastic. He’s been a cult player for us over the years and he conducted himself amazingly well last year when we made changes.
“He wanted to stay and be a part of it, and he was tonight. You can never write anybody off. He couldn’t have done any more.”
Wrexham took the lead in the 31st minute through Elliot Lee but it was Hull who looked like going through after hitting back through their eye-catching free signing Oli McBurnie and substitutes Joel Ndala and Matt Crooks.
But after Palmer’s late show it was Ndala who proved the fall guy, hitting the crossbar with his penalty.
Hull manager Sergej Jakirovic said: “It’s mixed feelings. I think that we played very good game and until 80-85 minutes we controlled everything.
“But this is a great experience for us for the future because it’s not finished before the referee blows the whistle.
“We must continue because I think that we showed a lot of good things in our game. I’m sorry for the players because they put in everything.”
