Town tasted defeat at the Racecourse Ground for the second time in eight days as they were defeated 5-3 by Wrexham having been 3-2 in front. The Blues went behind twice in the first half to goals from ex-Blues striker Kieffer Moore and Josh Windass, but Anis Mehmeti and Ivan Azon levelled to make the scoreline 2-2 at half-time. Cedric Kipre smashed a brilliant strike to make it 3-2 soon after the break but George Thomason, Callum Doyle and ex-Town forward Nathan Broadhead netted without reply to take the points for the Red Dragons.

Boss Kieran McKenna returned to the team which won 2-1 at Derby County in the Championship a fortnight ago with Wes Burns back in the XI following his groin injury.

The Blues, who made 10 changes for last week’s 1-0 FA Cup fourth round defeat Wrexham, brought back Christian Walton in goal behind a defence of Darnell Furlong, skipper Dara O’Shea, Kipre and Leif Davis, making his 150th start for Town.

In midfield, Azor Matusiwa was joined by Jack Taylor with Burns wide on the right of the three ahead of them, Mehmeti the number 10 and Jack Clarke on the left. Azon was the number nine.

Marcelino Nunez was on the bench having been out for a month due to an ankle injury with Ben Johnson dropping out of the 20-man squad.

Wrexham made two changes from their 2-2 draw at Bristol City on Tuesday with ex-Blues striker Moore and Windass coming into the team for Sam Smith and the Red Dragons’ other former Town attacker, Broadhead, who were among the subs. Seven of the starters also began the FA Cup tie against the Blues eight days ago.

With rain falling heavily, the home side went ahead in the sixth minute via the first real chance of the game. Windass beat Taylor in the air and flicked into the path of Moore, who brought it on into the area and, with the Town players standing off him covering a cross, hit a powerful shot from an angle just inside the post into the roof of the net to send the home fans wild.

The Blues looked to hit back in the 11th minute, Clarke feeding Burns out on the right of the box and the Wales international clipping over a cross which Azon nodded down into the ground to Arthur Okonkwo in the Wrexham goal.

Town’s revival was stopped in its tracks after Ben Sheaf required treatment, then Furlong was inadvertently caught in the head by Moore after the play had stopped for an offside. Sheaf was unable to continue and was replaced by George Dobson.

Once the game got back up and running, the Blues levelled in the 20th minute. Taylor made a strong run into the left of the area and cut across a low ball, which Okonkwo could only palm out to the edge of his six-yard area. Callum Doyle slid it away from Azon, but only to Mehmeti, who slammed his first goal for the club into the roof of the net.

On 26, Max Cleworth was shown the game’s first yellow card for bringing down Clarke as the Town top scorer looked to get on a ball won by Azon in the air.

The resultant free-kick led to a corner which was cleared to Taylor just outside the area but the Irish international’s shot was too high.

Doyle joined fellow central defender Cleworth in the book for pulling back Mehmeti as Town counter-attacked.

Wrexham were seeing most of the ball but with Town looking a threat on the break and on 38 the home side restored their lead.

A Moore cross was blocked by O’Shea, Walton saved well from Thomason but the ball ran back to Moore, who was able to cross to Windass, whose header Davis tried to stop on the line but could only divert in off the post. As Wrexham celebrated, Davis was booked by referee Leigh Doughty for handball, much to the left-back’s annoyance.

On 41, Kipre talked himself into the referee’s book for his complaints having been adjudged to have fouled More on halfway.

Wrexham came close to a third goal a minute later when George Thomason’s low cross from the left was inch-perfect for Moore, but Walton did very well to block. From the resultant corner, Doyle rose highest at the far post but his header slipped off his head and wide.

A third Wrexham goal was looking more likely than a Town leveller, but in the third minute of five added on, the Blues netted their second. Matusiwa played a ball into Taylor’s feet 20 yards out, the former Peterborough man turning the ball into the path of Azon with the home defence all over the place and the Spaniard confidently slipped his third goal of the season - and first as a starter - into the net.

Furlong was booked for a foul on Oliver Rathbone before referee Doughty ended the half with the Blues having twice got themselves back into the game but otherwise having shown little while giving away two poor goals with Wrexham having settled into the wet conditions the better.

But despite an under-par half, Town have got themselves into a decent position at half-time.

Two minutes after the restart, the Blues took the lead against Wrexham for the first time in their history, and in some style.

The ball ran loose to Kipre 25 yards out and the Ivorian brilliantly curled his third goal of the season inside Okonkwo’s left post.

In the 57th minute, Burns became the fourth Town player booked for stopping Wrexham from taking a free-kick quickly, although the South Walian felt he had been treated harshly.

A minute later, Thomason was found wide on the left with Town claiming offside and the former Bolton man shot into the side-netting.

From the resultant corner, Wrexham were adamant they should have been awarded a penalty after Walton and Doyle had collided as they challenged for an aerial ball, the defender having already headed it behind. Rathbone was booked for taking his protests too far. Both Doyle and Walton required treatment before continuing.

On 64, home skipper Dominic Hyam became the fourth Wrexham player to be yellow-carded for dragging back Azon. Ahead of the restart, Broadhead and Ryan Longman took over from Rathbone and Issa Kabone.

And two minutes after the changes, Wrexham levelled. Broadhead brought the ball down the middle unchallenged and hit a shot which was blocked, but which ran out to Thomason, who hit a low effort into the net from the left of the area.

Former Blues forward Broadhead continued to have an impact, hitting a low shot through to Walton in the 68th minute.

Town made their first changes in the 70th minute, Taylor, Burns and Mehmeti making way for Dan Neil, Kasey McAteer and Nunez.

Before the subs could make an impression, the Red Dragons went ahead for the third time. Lewis O’Brien swung over a corner from the right and Doyle headed powerfully into the roof of the net.

The Blues swapped the tiring Azon for George Hirst ahead of the restart as Town looked to get themselves back into the game once more, then, with the rain beginning to fall even more heavily, Chuba Akpom took over from Matusiwa.

Neil struck a shot from distance which was blocked, then Hirst was forced off a ball in from the right.

Town carved out a good opportunity in the 82nd minute, Clarke playing in Akpom on the left and the on-loan Ajax man cutting back for Nunez, whose goal-bound shot was blocked. Moments later, Clarke crossed from the left and McAteer’s header was saved at the post by Okonkwo.

With the Blues throwing men forward in numbers, it was little surprise when Wrexham had an opportunity on the break, Windass hitting an 84th-minute effort which Walton palmed away to his left.

But the home side weren’t to be denied a fifth goal, Broadhead sealing their victory a minute later when he slipped the ball past Walton having been played in on the left of the area by O’Brien, Town having lost possession midway inside their own half.

Dobson was booked for hauling down Akpom as the forward broke into the Wrexham half. Moments later, there were Town calls for a penalty when the ball struck a home defender’s arm but referee Doughty waved away the claims and after six additional minutes ended proceedings.

A chastening and frustrating afternoon for Town, who never seemed to gain control of the game despite dragging themselves back into it twice having been behind and then going ahead through Kipre’s excellent goal.

Despite shipping three goals, Wrexham always seemed in charge, creating numerous opportunities, particularly down the Town right with the usually solid Blues backline having an afternoon to forget.

Having got to 3-2 without impressing, Town will feel they should have gone on to see out the win but having got into that position another defensive lapse led to Wrexham’s third, a set piece to the fourth and then the fifth came as the Blues pushed forward in numbers.

Town once again showed their flakiness on the road, having impressed at Derby a fortnight ago, it was another display similar to the one at Sheffield United last month and at Leicester at the end of last year.

A blow to the fourth-placed Blues’ automatic promotion push, although tempered to some degree by Millwall in third losing 3-1 at home to Portsmouth and Middlesbrough in second being held 0-0 by Oxford United at the Riverside. Leaders Coventry are now three points clear of Boro having beaten West Brom 2-0.

The Blues will hope to put today’s result behind them when they travel to take on Watford, who beat Derby 2-0 at home today, at Vicarage Road on Tuesday.

Wrexham: Okonkwo, Cleworth, Hyam (c), Doyle, Kabore (Longman 64), Sheaf (Dobson 17), Rathbone (Broadhead 64), Thomason, Windass (Vyner 85), O’Brien, Moore. Unused: Ward, Scarr, Keillor-Dunn, Cadamarteri, Smith.

Town: Walton, Furlong, O’Shea (c), Kipre, Davis, Matusiwa (Akpom 81), Taylor (Neil 70), Burns (McAteer 70) Mehmeti (Nunez 70), Clarke, Azon (Hirst 75). Unused: Palmer, Greaves, Cajuste, Walle Egeli. Referee: Leigh Doughty (Blackpool). Att: 10,610 (Town: 1,288).

Photo: Matchday Images