EFL Cup: Wrexham Eliminated by Rivals Middlesbrough

Competitive football is back, and the first round of the EFL Cup continued with significant matches. Following York's return to the Football League and Bristol City's early exit, Friday night's spotlight was on the clash between Middlesbrough and Wrexham, both eyeing promotion to the Premier League.

Other notable matches included Wolves hosting Port Vale and Wycombe facing Stevenage.

Middlesbrough 1-0 Wrexham

Will Lankshear's second-half goal secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory for Middlesbrough against Wrexham at the Riverside Stadium, handing the visitors their first defeat of the season. After a quiet first half, the game livened up after the break. Middlesbrough broke the deadlock in the 61st minute when Sebastian Berhalter assisted Lankshear, who calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner. Wrexham pushed for an equalizer, with Nathan Broadhead's free-kick narrowly missing the target and Callum Doyle testing Sol Brynn. Middlesbrough, however, threatened a second goal on the counter when Morgan Whittaker hit the post. Ultimately, Middlesbrough held on to advance to the second round.

Wycombe 1-2 Stevenage

Stevenage achieved a stunning 2-1 victory over Wycombe at Adams Park, with Josh Magennis scoring the winning goal in the 95th minute. Stevenage took a deserved lead in the first half through Dan Kemp. Despite further threats from Stevenage before halftime and a strong save from Filip Marschall, Wycombe equalized just after the hour mark via Richard Kone. In stoppage time, Phoenix Patterson's corner led to Magennis's powerful header into the bottom corner, sparking jubilant celebrations from the away fans.

Wolves 3-0 Port Vale

Wolves kicked off their season with a convincing 3-0 win against Port Vale at Molineux. Adam Armstrong opened the scoring in the 14th minute after good build-up play. Andre doubled the lead in the 34th minute with a header from a corner, and Fer Lopez added a third just before halftime with a left-footed finish. Although Port Vale showed resilience in the second half and were awarded a penalty, Dan Bentley saved Mo Faal's spot-kick, preserving Wolves' clean sheet.