WREXHAM WILL NOT GO PART-TIME
Wales On Sunday

NEVILLE Dickens last night vowed League Two basement side Wrexham would NOT go part-time if they dropped down into the Conference.

In a further boost, the Wrexham owner also revealed the club's highly-productive youth set-up would remain intact as the spectre of relegation looms large at the Racecourse.

Dickens insists the inquest will open once Wrexham's improbable route to safety is complete, but the beleaguered supporters can at least be buoyed that the club intend to maintain the status quo.

He said: "If we do drop out, we want to give ourselves the best chance of bouncing back up at the first attempt.

"And that means keeping the infrastructure in place and remaining full-time.

"There's no doubt that playing in the non-league environment will have certain consequences, but we believe the youth system is vital to our future development. There's no question this will remain in place.

"We will just have to dust ourselves down and get on with trying to restore a brighter future.

"The summer will give us the opportunity to come back as a stronger unit and we are determined to do just that."

Only the most optimistic Wrexham supporter now believes that the oldest Football League club in Wales can maintain a proud tradition that dates back 78 years by avoiding relegation to the Blue Square Premiership.

Marooned at the foot of the table, the writing is on the wall for Brian Little's struggling side.

While Little is expected to be given the chance to restore Wrexham's league status at the first attempt, demotion is likely to prompt wholesale changes on and off the pitch.

Welsh internationals Steve Evans, Chris Llewellyn and Mark Jones - who head a strong list of out-of-contract players at the Racecourse this summer - are certain to be courted by league clubs elsewhere.

And the club's recruitment drive and budgeting plans will also to be hit by the withdrawal of Football League funding.

Even though the Dragons will receive a Conference parachute payment of £150,000, it's still half of what they would have banked if they were under the league umbrella.

While there remains doom and gloom in North Wales, supporters' trust board member Wyn Griffiths believes lessons can be learned if Wrexham are to follow the positive example of clubs such as Carlisle and Doncaster Rovers in bouncing back stronger than before.

He said: "Everything is in place for us to come back, but the essential thing is a good start.

"We will keep the crowds then and interest in the club from the town.

"Realistically we've got one season to bounce back. That's where your best chances lie as you can keep many of the players who have the league experience.

"The supporters have seen Wrexham losing now for so long then a winning side will almost certainly draw added interest.

"We have been preparing for the worst for a while now, but the midweek defeat to Mansfield was the final nail in our coffin.

"I've watched Wrexham for 30 years now but the frustrating thing is that we've had a lot weaker sides than the one we have at the moment."

WREXHAM BOSS SLAMS TEAM'S LACK OF QUALITY
Wales On Sunday

WREXHAM boss Brian Little bemoaned the lack of quality in his squad that seems likely to relegate the Dragons this season.

The home match against Macclesfield was a must win for Little's charges, but once again they could only claim a draw, despite carving out good chances.

"In lots of recent games the commitment has been great but the quality hasn't been there and it was the final ball that let us down again today," he said.

"Look at Macclesfield, they had two free kicks and put them into great areas. We didn't do that, and it's not like we don't practice set plays all week, but come into the game and it's different.

"Ultimately that lack of quality is costing us every single week.

"It's a poor goal to concede again, we've gone to sleep on a set piece and given them a free shot. There are so few games where I don't have to do something drastic and to be honest I'm running out of ideas to get points."

But the Dragons' boss vowed to remain upbeat and do everything in his power to keep Wrexham in the Football League.

"I'm disappointed but we'll keep trying and I'll keep working them," he added.

"We need a win from somewhere to lift everyone. I'm still trying to remain positive and we won't give in.

"Every day we come in and look at ways to make these players better. What we do is try and help everyone and in truth they are a great bunch of lads. But we're bottom of the league and have been all season.

"In the last two weeks we've had the games to get us out of this position, but we've lacked the quality."

DRAWING TO A CONCLUSION
Wales On Sunday

A DRAW against fellow strugglers Macclesfield may do nothing more than prolong the agony for Dragons fans for another week or so.

All it managed to do was showcase exactly why they are struggling at the bottom of the table. Poor passing, comical defending, no quality and moments of sheer madness.

And, if there has ever been a more toothless or static Dragons attack, this reporter hasn't witnessed it.

Chief culprit was Drewe Broughton, who once again helped himself to a number of chances, but couldn't hit the proverbial barn door with a banjo.

This profligacy is costing the Dragons week after week as games run out to save their status, but he cannot be held responsible for Wrexham's demise - mainly because the rest of the team continue to shoot themselves in the foot.

After bossing the first half it was no surprise when Macclesfield took the lead, Jamie Tolley taking advantage of some poor defending by the returning Steve Evans. The defender may have made amends by heading in the equaliser, but just when it all seemed set up for a dramatic victory, Wrexham's lack of quality showed and they weren't able to up the tempo.

Boss Brian Little made no less than five changes in a desperate attempt to change fortunes, and the fact that he chose five attacking players to sit on the bench underlined the philosophy he wanted for the match.

His players didn't heed him, however, and from the off it looked like it was going to be a frustrating afternoon. Too many passes went astray and moves broke down as both sides struggled to get any hold on the game.

It took 16 minutes for the first chance of note when Chris Llewellyn played in Broughton, only for the big target man to shoot wide.

The striker also couldn't get on the end of Danny Williams's cute pass a few minutes later, while at the other end Gareth Evans saw his near post effort turned away by Gavin Ward before Shane Brisley headed wide from the resulting corner.

But just as it looked like the Silkmen were finding their feet, Wrexham enjoyed a good bit of pressure that took them up to half time.

Danny Williams's stinging free kick was tipped away by Jonathan Brain, Steve Evans nearly got on the end of Simon Spender's corner and Llewellyn hit the side netting from an acute angle.

It seemed that the second half could be set up for a famous win, but true to form the Dragons imploded within minutes. When Macc striker Gareth Evans knocked the ball into the box, Steve Evans's poor headed clearance fell to former Welsh under-21 Tolley to rifle the ball home.

And he should have made it 2-0 a few minutes later, when Richard Hope made a hash of a clearance, yet the midfielder struck wide.

Marc Williams's stabbed effort nearly reduced the deficit, as did Broughton with another headed effort that bounced wide.

But after that Macc simply started playing it about and Ward had to be alert to save Francis Green's close-range effort, before Danny Thomas's deflected effort whizzed past his near post.

But, just when things looked to be at the bleakest for the Dragons - in fact they'd just lost Spender to a ligament injury which could end his season - the three Wrexham subs gave the home side a shot in the arm.

You may ask why top scorer Michael Proctor was a) not playing from the start, and b) taking the throw-ins, but his long throw fell on to the head of Evans on 79 minutes and he looped an effort past the despairing Brain.

Then came the moment of madness as Llewellyn inexplicably went in two-footed on Izak Reid, only for a rather lenient referee to only show him a yellow card.

A sending off then, just as they were looking get make in roads, would have really summed up the Dragons' dire season but, in truth, even though he remained on the pitch, there was no last-gasp onslaught.

And don't hold your breath that there will be one in the remaining six games either.