AFTER suffering his first defeat as Wrexham manager, Brian Little was quick to admit that he should have gone with a flat back four from the start, rather than making the switch at half time in today's game against Dagenham & Redbridge.

"I'm always learning and I have definitely learnt more again today," he said.

"It was disappointing in the first half, after playing so well at Bury, but we knew it would be different today and had worked on that in training.

"We didn't handle it well today, although our defending was okay, but we went and gave away that own goal. It gave them the advantage and they were certainly the better team in the first half.

"We changed at half time, which I felt was the right thing to do, and it certainly made us more lively. I felt for long periods of the second half that we would get something out of the game.

"Ultimately, they have scored two goals at the end, which might have flattered them, but their first half performance was miles better than us.

"I genuinely believe that I picked the wrong team today.

"We won at Bury in midweek and when you look at it as a manager you often say I'll keep those same players, but it just didn't work today.

"I then did what I should do as a manager and changed it at half time and nearly got something out of the game.

"A lot of people will see that score line and think -'oh my god they have been slaughtered' but that wasn't the case.

"I lost count of how many corners we had in the second half, while they also cleared a good effort off their line.

"So we came close to getting something from the game.

"But in this game you have to be big enough and strong enough to admit when you make a mistake - and I have said that to the players.

"On another day - and it doesn't matter how much experience you have - today has taught me another lesson.

"If you come across a team whose system you think might cause you a problem, you have to be big enough to change even a winning side, from time to time.

"So it's a good lesson, I'll learn from it and I hope the players will, but I can't fault the lads for their effort or determination.

"As I have said, they were the better side by far in the first 45 minutes, but Sam Aiston made a difference, he made us better in wide areas.

"We did though lack that cutting edge up front, so it's back to the drawing board and back to working hard.

"We never for a minute thought it was going to be easy and today proves that.

"Perhaps coming into the game a number of people might have been thinking we were on our way. But football has a horrible habit of reminding you how cruel it can be.

"The two goals at the end today were cruel.

"I'm not so sure that Chris Llewellyn wasn't fouled in the build up to second, while the ball did seem to go out of play for the third, although the official's view was probably obscured.

"Although that's not the reason why we lost today - we lost because our first half performance was poor."

Did three away games in a week have any say on this display?

"Absolutely, we're tired and psychologically this was a hard game for us. Giving away an own goal doesn't help, but they were really up for it.

"You have to give them credit for that, as they were bright and breezy, played it early, put us under pressure - but I thought we were handling okay.

"Overall though they deserved to win it, just that the score flattered them a bit.

"If you had said to me that we would get four points from this week, all away from home, then I might well have taken that.

"But today is a hard one to have lost, but you know, we could conceivably have come here with no points from earlier in the week.

"I do bring myself in for criticism, hopefully I'm honest enough to be able to look in the mirror and if I'm at fault I will admit.

"I picked the wrong team and then with Sam on one side and Matty on the other we looked a much better team."