A poor defensive showing in the opening half at London Road put pay to our FA Cup hopes for another season and despite a spirited fightback in the final 30 minutes, when Neil Roberts scored, it was too big a hole to dig ourselves out of on this occasion.

The Reds went behind after only 85 seconds, when George Boyd scampered after a high cross, despite the ball hitting his hand, the officials let the winger regain possession and cross deep for Craig Mackail-Smith to head home from the edge of the six-yard box.

From the restart McLean charged over the half way line and clattered in Richard Hope leaving him in a heap on the ground and needed lengthy treatment before play could resume.

With Hope still trying to get back on to the pitch, United broke down their right and from Claude Gnapka's cross, a header was only half cleared and Boyd's shot was screwed wide when a second goal looked on the cards.

From a Wrexham corner on 12 minutes, Silvio Spann picked out Matty Done on the edge of the box and although he was 10-yards from the nearest defender his shot was poor and as Peterborough broke up field, Mackail-Smith was the lone striker against three defenders but still managed to play the ball across our six-yard but no one offered support and an open goal went begging.

United missed another golden chance on 15 minutes, as a cross field ball from Chris Whelpdale found Boyd on the left and a quick low cross was aimed at Aaron McLean at the near post, who slide in unopposed but couldn't guide the ball into an empty net.

Wrexham sprung to live on 28 minutes, when Spann's pass from midfield released Done down the left and with only Gnakpa for company the winger sprinted 30-yards before the full back was able to recover and make a saving tackle as Done prepared to shoot inside the penalty area.

Robbie Garrett prompted another attack five minutes later, as he found Spann in space in the home half of the pitch. The Trinidadian time his pass well to give Eifion Williams a run at the United goal, but a combination of Craig Morgan and keeper Mark Tyler smothered the danger as thoughts turned to an equaliser.

Peterborough reacted by pushing forward on several occasions, but each time the linesman's flag came to Wrexham's rescue.

A second goal finally arrived for the Posh on 40 minutes and they had little to do with it apart from the finishing Craig Mackail-Smith, who could hardly believe his luck that Anthony Williams and Richard Hope would run into each other five-yards outside the penalty box and the former Daggers striker was left with the simple task over walking the ball over the line.

Wrexham were a shadow of the side that should had gained more than a point against Wycombe in midweek and McLean should have finished off our lingering hopes with a dipping shot in added time at the end of the half.

Half Time

A double substation by Brian Carey at the interval saw Neil Roberts replace Matty Collins and Shaun Pejic was on for Hope.

The result was finally put beyond the Dragons on 53 minutes as Boyd pushed a low pass through the Wrexham defence and Craig Mackail-Smith accelerated away from Evans to hit a shot that Williams was able to touch but couldn't stop it finding the back of his net.

Mackail-Smith was on fire and Wrexham had no answer to his pace as the striker helped himself to a hat-trick.

On the hour, Marc Williams was introduced for Eifion Williams in a straight change to the forward line.

Boro were showing few signs of taking things easy as they kept the pressure up on the visitors' defence and even Roberts to be on hand to hook the ball off his own goal line from a corner. Mackail-Smith then passed up the chance of a fourth strike on 64 minutes when his side footer to a McLean cross spun across the face of an empty net and beat the back post.

Then out of the blue, a long ball over the top saw Neil Roberts chase a chance after a flick on by Marc Williams, keeper Tyler raced off his line but Roberts' persistence paid off as his prodded the ball passed the United man and it just had enough legs to make it over the line as Jamie Day tried to clear.

Williams then saw a driven effort whistle passed a post on 68 minutes, after a pass inside from Matty Done. Having looked so good for the first hour or so, suddenly Peterborough retreated a little and gave the opportunity for Wrexham to push men forward.

Not that Mackail-Smith seemed content with his hat-trick, as he got on the end of a Mclean cross and planted his header only a foot over the Wrexham crossbar.

Llewellyn then set off on a charge from box to box which ended with a thunderous shot that Tyler did well to turn round a post for a corner, but as if to sum up our season the flag kick was put straight into the terraces as Silvio Spann slipped in his run to take the corner.

The combination of Valentine and Done, set up a cross to the near post which Roberts meet but Morgan defected out for a corner. Simon Spender got his head to the corner but only saw his effort sail over the home crossbar.

More sloppy defending on 87 minutes saw us fail to clear the danger and as the ball was fed straight back into Aaron Mclean on the edge of the box and with the Welsh defence appealing for offside the forward simply fired home from 15-yards.

From somewhere the referee found an additional four minutes, which only prolonged the agony for the near 300 travelling fans!

Peterborough United: Mark Tyler, Claude Gnakpa, Chris Westwood, Craig Morgan, Jamie Day, Chris Whelpdale (Josh Low 79), Dean Keates (Charlie Lee 81), George Boyd, Micah Hyde, Craig Mackail-Smith (Rene Howe 81), Aaron McLean
Subs: Adam Newton, Shawn Jadal.

Wrexham: Anthony Williams, Simon Spender, Gareth Evans, Richard Hope (Shaun Pejic 46), Ryan Valentine, Matty Done, Robbie Garrett, Matty Collins (Neil Roberts 46), Silvio Spann, Chris Llewellyn, Eifion Williams (Marc Williams 60).
Subs: Neil Taylor, Michael Proctor.

Referee: Mike Thorpe (Suffolk)
Attendance: 4,266
Away: 293