IN a game that typified the season that Wrexham are enduring, the Reds went down to a Shrewsbury Town side that was also desperate for points to ensure their League safety and claimed only their second win in 21 attempts since Boxing Day.

An early defensive blunder presented Kevin McIntyre with a simple header for the opening goal after just seven minutes and then on the hour mark the Wrexham-born Darren Moss was allowed to head home.

We did manage to save a 68th minute penalty, but in true fashion there was no defensive cover and James Constable was allowed to run into the box and finish off where Dave Hibbert couldn't.

Chris Llewellyn missed out due to a virus, while other changes saw Drewe Broughton, Simon Spender, Michael Proctor and Matty Done all recalled to the action.

The game opened in lively fashion with both teams pushing forward as quickly as they could, with the rain lashing down on the New Meadow stadium.

There were only seven minutes on the clock when a high bouncing ball was played into the Wrexham box where both Richard Hope and keeper Gavin Ward seemed to leave it for each other to deal with, but in nipped Kevin McIntyre to take advantage of their hesitancy heading over Ward and into the net.

The Reds came close to equalising on 12 minutes when a Done free kick from the next the left hand corner flag was met by the head of Proctor and the striker was only just wide of the near post from eight yards out.

A first yellow card of the game went to Spender, when he up ended Marc Pugh out wide on 17 minutes.

The pressure was no all one-way with the Shrews getting well on top, aided by some awful defending by the Reds which just heaped more trouble on themselves.

Attempted clearances hooked across the face of their own goal, others that ended up under their own crossbar and indecision bout how to actually get the ball out the danger zone. It didn't make for pretty viewing to the 1,250 travelling fans at that end of the ground!

Referee Lee Mason was also unimpressed by a Neil Roberts foul on McIntyre, which earned a booking on 26 minutes.

Our first effort on target came after 30 minutes, when Broughton took the ball on his chest and turned to face the goal, but from 25-yards his effort lacked the power to beat Scott Bevan.

Shrewsbury responded with an attack that the visitors' failed to clear three times, before Steve Leslie fired in shot from 30-yards that only just whistled over Ward's crossbar.

The referee's patience with Broughton finally ran out on 39 minutes when he booked him for a series of fouls and dissent, having also added home captain Ben Davies for a late challenge on Neil Taylor.

Broughton then fought shoulder-to-shoulder with Darren Kempson over a loose ball, but despite the Wrexham man going to ground in the home box there was little chance of a penalty being awarded.

More good work by Done on the left saw the ball driven in low to the near post where Broughton stepped over it for Proctor behind him, but the ball as only knocked out of the box where Marc Williams steadied himself and hit a rising shot that Bevan got his body behind to collect on his line.

A minute later, Proctor worked himself into some space on the right of the goal, turning to fire in a low shot that Bevan blocked and scrambled to grab at the second attempt as Williams.

A Wrexham free kick on the right was headed behind for a corner, but when that was delivered Proctor could only head wide of the back post, as the Welshman raised their game in the final minutes of the first half.

Bevan was forced in to his best save of the half when Marc Williams wriggled clear of his marker on the edge of the box and sent in a curling effort that the keeper was only able to push wide with a full length save.

HT

The Reds looked revitalised after their half time cuppa and certainly took the game to Shrewsbury from the restart, Done flashing a cross in front of goal that was just too high for the arriving Broughton and then Proctor finding room for a shot that wasn't far wide.

A scare saw Phil Bolland needing treatment after going over on his ankle, but the centre half refused to be subbed and continued at the heart of the defence.

Broughton then flashed an effort wide after bringing another cross down on his chest, which got the visiting fans to the feet and urging on their side.

Then against the run of play on 58 minutes, the Reds allowed a cross to be floated high to the back post where Darren Moss out jumped Taylor to head home from close range.

It could have got worse on 63 minutes, when winger Leslie was allowed to make far too much room to progress in from the flank and eventually was left with only Ward to beat who made a good save.

Aiston's then run to the far end of the pitch crossing invitingly for Roberts to get a head on target but Kempson was able to scrabble it away for a corner.

The kick came in and was headed over his own crossbar by Colin Murdock, before the following cross in somehow managed to stay out as legs thrashed out in an attempt to force it home.

As Wrexham struggled to deal with a Shrewsbury attack down the middle, Boland and Spender closed in on Constable, with the former clipping his heels and the sub went to ground, giving referee Mason no option but to award the penalty.

The 68th minute spot kick was taken by Dave Hibbert, whose effort was blocked by Ward, as the ball ran loose Hibbert and Constable clashed into each other, which should have given ample time for the covering defenders to clear, but they couldn't even do this and James Constable was given the opportunity to finally force the ball over the line.

The introduction of Danny Williams into midfield brought some respite and set up two low shots that Bevan was only able to collect at the second time of asking on both occasions.

Then in an amazing sequence Paul Hall crossed for Broughton to see his header saved, Roberts had his follow up blocked, Proctor took a second touch and the chance was lost, but even then Hall crossed again but this time Broughton's header only flashed across the face of the net.

A Constable break on the left wing, after 79 minutes, saw him covered by two red shirts, but when he looked up he only had to square into the middle for the totally unmarked Humphrey to race in on goal, but Ward produced a top class save to deny the substitute.

While the Reds showed moments of attacking threat, the errors at the back negated any chance they had of picking up precious survival points.

To be honest the end of the season can't come quick enough.

Shrewsbury: Scott Bevan, Ben Herd, Darren Kempson, Colin Murdock, Marc Tierney, Steve Leslie, Darren Moss, Kevin McIntyre (Jimmy Ryan 80), Ben Davies (Chris Humphrey 71), Dave Hibbert, Marc Pugh (James Constable 65).
Subs: Glyn Garner, Guy Madjo.

Wrexham: Gavin Ward, Simon Spender, Phil Bolland, Richard Hope, Neil Taylor, Matty Done, Neil Roberts, Sam Aiston (Paul Hall 65), Michael Proctor, Drewe Broughton, Marc Williams (Danny Williams 68).
Subs: Steve Evans, Sam Aiston, Jeff Whitley.

Referee: Lee Mason (Lancs)
Attendance: 7,065
Away: 1,242

Bookings -
Shrewsbury: Ben Davies (34, foul), Hibbert (75, time wasting)
Wrexham: Spender (17, foul), Roberts, (26, foul), Broughton (39, foul), D. Williams (84, handball)