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WREXHAM, Wales — Wrexham, the fourth-tier Welsh team co-owned by actor Ryan Reynolds, took a step toward another promotion by beating Mansfield 2-0 on Friday.
Talismanic forward Paul Mullin scored both goals — finishing from a cross in the first half and converting a penalty in the 67th minute — before 12,494 fans at the Racecourse Ground.
Wrexham remains third in League Two tied on points with Mansfield, which is second on goal difference. Stockport beat Forest Green 3-0 to move into first place, one point clear.
The top three teams at the end of the season are automatically promoted and the next four enter a playoff for one last promotion spot. Wrexham has six games remaining and plays at mid-table Doncaster on Tuesday.
Wrexham was adrift when Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney bought the little-known club for $2.5 million in 2021.
Last April, they clinched the National League title to get back into the English Football League — the three divisions below the Premier League — for the first time in 15 years.
The Hollywood stars have invested heavily in the club through loans — the club's financial reports this week show that they're owed more than $11 million.
Reynolds' and McElhenney's adventures as soccer team owners have been chronicled in their show "Welcome to Wrexham."
Mullin's brace raised his tally to 99 goals for Wrexham since he joined in 2021 on a three-year deal. The Englishman's season got off to a slow start after he sustained a punctured lung during a friendly in July on the team's tour of the United States.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
