Ollie Rathbone marked his first league start of the campaign with a goal-of-the-season contender as Wrexham brushed aside Blackburn 2-0, to rack up their third straight Championship win and boosting their chances of reaching the playoffs.

Phil Parkinson’s side were without an away win in eight outings and made the trip to Ewood Park without injured duo Kieffer Moore and Josh Windass.

But Sam Smith and Rathbone deputised to devastating effect as Wrexham flew out of the traps and Smith finished clinically in the 11th minute for his second goal of the season.

Rathbone doubled the advantage with a sublime volley, catching the ball perfectly as it dropped over his shoulder to score for the second successive game.

Although Moussa Baradji struck the woodwork in the second half for Blackburn, Wrexham never looked like surrendering the lead.

It was as insipid as Blackburn have been at home and, with one win in eight, Rovers will need to be much better to extinguish relegation concerns.

Blackburn’s Matty Litherland started brightly, firing over from 20 yards, but Wrexham hit the front in the 11th minute, catching the high Rovers defence cold as Matty James lofted a superbly-weighted ball to theonrushing Smith, who took a touch before rifling in a left-footed shot that beat Aynsley Pears too easily at his near post.

Rampant Wrexham almost added another in the 21st minute. Again they were sharper to the ball, dispossessing Todd Cantwell before Ryan Longman’s right-wing cross was diverted into the side-netting by Smith.

Parkinson’s men were in complete control — and made their dominance count with a spectacular second in the 38th minute.

A set-piece was deftly headed into the danger area by Dan Scarr towards Rathbone 12 yards out. He still had much to do but, under pressure from Ryan Hedges, connected with a sensational volley that flew over Pears and into the net.

Rovers tried to hit back immediately, with Sondre Tronstad trying his luck with a powerful volley of his own, but his goalbound effort was blocked.

Valerien Ismael’s side could not have been much worse in the first half but came mightily close to reducing the arrears in the 56th minute when Litherland’s pass into the area found Baradji, who brought the ball under control superbly before unleashing a ferocious shot that cannoned off the underside of the bar but bounced in front of the line and away.

They were almost immediately punished on the break when Smith sent Lewis O’Brien clear — only for Pears to produce an impressive stop to palm his strike behind.

Yuki Ohashi dragged a late effort wide, but Wrexham eased to victory and the full-time whistle was met by a chorus of boos.

• PSL expands from six teams to eight.
• Franchise auction is set for January 8.
• Inverex, VGO TEL and OZ Group apply.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Super League (PSL) is poised to expand from six to eight teams as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) completes technical evaluations of proposals submitted by interested groups, The News reported on Thursday.

The franchise auction is scheduled for January 8 at the Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad.

Among the confirmed bidders is the Tareen Group, led by businessman Ali Khan Tareen.

Tareen previously owned the Multan Sultans, a franchise he acquired in 2018 and helped transform into one of the PSL’s most consistent performers, winning the title in 2021 and reaching multiple finals.

However, relations between Tareen and the PCB soured over renewal terms and governance issues. He was the only owner not offered a 10-year extension, and the dispute escalated after the PCB issued a legal notice over alleged contract breaches. In late 2025, Tareen announced his exit. With his departure effective at year’s end, he is now eligible to bid for one of the new franchises.

Inverex Group, one of Pakistan’s leading renewable energy companies, has also applied for bidding rights. 

Its entry signals growing corporate interest in PSL’s expansion. Karachi-based VGO TEL, under CEO Naveed Gaba, has submitted its application as well. 

The OZ Group, chaired by Hamza Majeed, has formally entered the race, further intensifying competition.

Majeed has previously expressed his commitment to sports investment, making OZ Group a strong contender. Once successful bidders are confirmed, they will have the opportunity to select a home city from the PCB’s approved list, which includes Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Hyderabad, Sialkot, Muzaffarabad, and Gilgit.