The Wrexham boss reckoned it was a win that showcased character, belief and refusal to buckle under pressure at the Stok Cae Ras.
The dramatic Sky Bet Championship clash saw Wrexham twice take the lead in the first half, fall behind early in the second period, and then summon the courage and clarity to score three times in the final 24 minutes.
The result not only completed a demanding run of fixtures but also lifted Wrexham back into the Championship play-off places, delivering their first home league win of 2026 in unforgettable fashion.
Parkinson pointed to the psychological toughness of his squad after a gruelling schedule that included an FA Cup win over Ipswich eight days earlier, followed by a midweek draw at Bristol City.
“We went to Bristol on Tuesday and Bristol hadn’t had a weekend game,” said Parkinson.
“We’ve played Ipswich today, they didn’t have a midweek game and they completely changed the team from the Friday.
“The magnitude of the effort and the commitment the lads have given us today, if ever there was a game our supporters should be proud of the team, it was today.”
The contest was breathless from the outset. Wrexham struck first through Kieffer Moore, only for Ipswich to respond via Anis Mehmeti.
Josh Windass restored the home side’s lead before Ivan Azon equalised in stoppage time at the end of an action-packed first half.
Parkinson felt his side were unfortunate not to be ahead at the break and urged his players to maintain belief despite the swings in momentum.
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“I said to the lads at half-time, ‘don’t let the goal affect us’. I thought we were unlucky not to be ahead. And then lo and behold the centre-half smashes one in to make it 3-2.”
That goal came just after the restart, when Cedric Kipre fired beyond Arthur Okonkwo to put Ipswich in front for the first time.
“I think a lesser group of players could have started letting a bit of fatigue creep into them mentally but we didn’t, we responded brilliantly, and that’s a great effort from the lads,” added Parkinson.
The comeback began in the 66th minute when George Thomason scored his first goal for the club, restoring parity and reigniting belief around the stadium.
Shortly before that equaliser, controversy struck when Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton appeared to punch Callum Doyle in the head while attempting to clear a corner.
Appeals for a penalty were waved away, infuriating Parkinson.
“I don’t think you’re going to see a more blatant penalty than that,” he said.
“Doyley’s very lucky that he wasn’t knocked clean out. It was an absolutely reckless challenge.
“The ref’s got his own interpretation of it, I’ve already had a chat with him, but you can’t believe the linesman and the ref between them haven’t given that penalty.”
Rather than derailing Wrexham, the incident seemed to fuel them.
Just 15 minutes later, Doyle made his own decisive contribution, scoring his first home goal since joining from Manchester City in the summer to put Wrexham ahead once more.
The roar that followed reflected a team that sensed the moment was theirs.
The final act belonged to Nathan Broadhead, who sealed the victory against his former club with the fifth goal, capping a thrilling afternoon that featured five different Wrexham scorers and underlined the depth of character within the squad.
Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna was left to reflect on a frustrating afternoon for his side, who scored three goals away from home but were unable to manage the game defensively.
“I’m really disappointed with the outcome, disappointed with ourselves,” he said.
“We’ve come away from home and scored three really good goals and it should be enough to win you the game, but we’ve conceded some really poor ones today and some clinical finishing from Wrexham.
“It’s really frustrating because it was on the cusp of being a really good day for us with some of the qualities we’ve showed and ultimately the goals we’ve conceded, and mistakes we’ve made as a team and on an individual level have cost us the result we wanted.”
For Parkinson, however, the performance encapsulated everything he demands from his players in the Championship — honesty, endeavour and emotional control under stress.
“We’re pleased with that (returning to the top six). We’ve got a big game on Tuesday and I can’t wait,” he said.
“It’s like I keep saying, we’re just enjoying the ride.
“In this division we’ve played Ipswich three times now, they’re a good side. They’ve got a great manager, a really good side.
“I think if the bookies would have put all the factors together today, Ipswich making 10 changes, the freshness of coming up, they’d have probably been favourites and we’ve overturned that with sheer commitment, honesty and endeavour.”
