Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson admitted Wrexham lacked quality in possession after a late Blyth equaliser forced the FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round tie into a replay.
Tom O’Connor’s deflected free-kick gave Wrexham the lead, but a late equaliser by Michael Richardson – after his free-kick went straight through a crowded box and into the far corner – means both teams will meet again on Tuesday.
And Parkinson insists that match will not be a repeat of today’s draw at a windy Croft Park.
“It was a very scrappy game, and we knew it would be that type of game, but we still expect to show care with the ball and we didn’t,” he admitted. “We didn’t have that quality to get us up and going enough times.
“We got ourselves ahead and to give a cheap free-kick away like we did, in the swirling wind, and to concede a wind-assisted equaliser was disappointing.
“It was always going to be difficult today with the conditions and the tightness of the game but we battled well, we blocked things… we didn’t show enough quality when we had possession, but I think the conditions came into that a little bit and it was always set up to be one of those tough games like we had last year. But we’ve come through it again and we look forward to the replay on Tuesday.
“One moment has cost us towards the end of the game. We thought it would be tricky when the tie came out; we hoped that it wouldn’t be and we’d come through with flying colours but the most important thing in the FA Cup is to get into the hat for the next round, and then to progress into that round. We’ve done the first part of that, and now we look forward to Tuesday night.
“We had a few problems during the week with injuries, so we had to make changes, and we also gave minutes to some players.
“ It was a difficult game for Sam Dalby as he was having to work off scraps, whereas he thrives from getting quality into him in and around the box. Tuesday will be a different game.
“When you don’t get through, you have to go again and that’s what we will do.”