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Wrexham FC’s proud 87 year history in the Football League was all but mathematically ended at Field Mill.

Needing to beat the only team nearly as bad of ourselves to have a fighting chance of survival, we failed.

For such an important game, one we desperately needed to win, it seemed strange that Brian Little favoured Stuart Nicholson over our best chance of a goal, top-scorer Mike Proctor. Neil Roberts came back into the side too, along with Mike Williams who was preferred to Richard Hope.

It’s fair to say we had the better chances in the first-half, with the wind behind us. Those opportunities fell to Broughton, Llewellyn and Hall but they failed to capitalise. The prolific Michael Boulding went very close for the home side but it finished square at the break.

Mansfield hadn’t won a home game in the league in 2008 but began the second-half determined to change that. They put us on the back foot and the pressure paid off. The referee gave a penalty against Gareth Evans for a hand-ball in the area.

It was a dubious decision but Jefferson Louis made no mistake from the spot. With 40 minutes to go we were left with a massive uphill task. It was made even harder five minutes later. Boulding put John Mullins through. Bearing down on goal he shot across Ward to put The Stags 2-0 up.

The second goal knocked the stuffing out of us as for the next quarter on an hour Mansfield dominated, creating more chances. Little responded with a double substitution. Proctor went on for Hall, and Danny Williams made his long-awaited return from injury when he replaced Neil Roberts.

We clawed our way back into the game but time was running out. Marc Williams, having waited a long time for a chance, replaced Broughton. Just over five minutes later he was on hand to pounce when Stags ‘keeper Carl Muggleton palmed away a Nicholson shot. Marc’s tap-in gave us faint hope.

It was not to be. Mansfield pressed again only to be kept out by good defending from Ward and Spender. The final whistle went, and with it, probably Wrexham Football League status.

As the rest of the team left for the changing room Simon Spender stayed out a little longer, cutting a disconsolate figure and acknowledging the fans. He seemed as hurt by our predicament as the supporters with the realisation of our impending relegation sinking in. It can only be hoped that the team-mates of one of our better performers, over the duration of a miserable season, feel the same way too.

It’s difficult to look to the future now. We have a home game against Macclesfield this weekend. Perhaps the best thing to do is turn up, fully supporting the lads while hoping they can pull off a similar miracle to that of last season. It could also be one of the last League games to be played at the Racecourse for a while…

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Despite a worthy fight-back Wrexham took another step closer to playing non-league football next season with this defeat at Barnet. We are now eight points adrift at the bottom of the Football League with as many games left to play.

Missing Danny Sonner and Neil Roberts again our midfield was severely weakened. With Steve Evans still absent our defence continues to look very uncertain, and it was our poor defending which cost us the game.

We made the better start in the first-half and at times had Barnet holding on at. We created chances, won set-pieces, but as against Dagenham we just couldn’t convert them into goals. Broughton, Llewellyn and Proctor all had unsuccessful attempts at goal.

In spite of our pressure Barnet did give us a warning when a Sagi Burton header had to be cleared off the line by Simon Spender. Just before half-time Wrexham fans experienced a sense of déjà vu. Llewellyn, not for the first time this season, gave away a daft free-kick deep into stoppage time. The resulting cross met the head of Ismail Yakubu to put us 1-0 down before the break.

The beginning of the second-half saw Barnet attempt to further their lead and they were successful in this about five minutes in. Anthony Thomas scored with a spectacular overhead kick from a very tight angle in the penalty area, but perhaps should not have been given the opportunity to do so.

That goal spurred Wrexham into a comeback. A long ball found Drewe Broughton rising above everyone to head at goal, the ball going in with a little help from the post.

Disappointingly, having pulled a goal back, just minutes later we committed defensive suicide in letting the dangerous Anthony Thomas turn provider. He went through our box unchallenged before laying off for Nicky Nicolau to accurately slot home.

We launched another comeback but unfortunately it would prove to be too little, too late. Simon Spender, yet again a Man of the Match contender, got forward into the Barnet penalty area where he received a pass from Paul Hall. Spender made no mistake in driving home his first goal of the season past Lee Harrison to pull it back to 3-2.

Perhaps sensing we could get a draw or more Brian Little replaced the calamitous Richard Hope with Mike Williams to ensure that we didn’t give anything more away at the back. Matt Done, relieved of his defensive duties was released further forward into midfield. He was later joined by Jeff Whitley, on for Aiston.

We had the momentum, Done getting a save out of Harrison but Barnet threatened at the other end too. Wales Under-21 international Adam Birchall struck a post, and late on with time running out substitute Kieran St Aimie hit the crossbar with a header from a corner.

Deep into stoppage time Broughton was through, deciding selfishly to have a go himself when a cross to the on-rushing Done or Proctor would have meant an almost certain equaliser. The chance went begging, and so did the game.

We left Underhill with nothing from a fixture when we should really have taken something from. Most Wrexham fans are resigned to non-league football next season though there is still faint hope, if we can pick up a win away at fellow ‘doomed’ club Mansfield on Tuesday.

 

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