HARDLY able to understand how his team failed to snatch at least a draw from Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at the hands of Kidderminster Harriers, Wrexham manager Dean Saunders invented a new word to describe his feelings.

“It’s flabbergasting really,” he said afterwards. “Their goal keeper has made five or six unbelievable saves and we have hit the post three times, but that’s the way it goes on occasions.”

After being denied by the woodwork on three occasions in the first half, Wrexham threw everything at the home side’s goal after the break, but could not find a way through to cancel out a well-taken 25th minute effort from Brian Smikle.

“I’ve been in football a long time and that was one of those halves where you cannot believe we haven’t scored,” added Saunders.

“We can’t win every game, though, so it’s on to the next one and we have to take the way we finished today into that one

“Sometimes the ball doesn’t break for you and today luck was not with us. The next game is at Stevenage and all I’m thinking about is three points.”

The Dragons boss admitted that Wrexham had ridden their luck in previous games and praised his players for their committed performance at Aggborough.

“(Gavin) Wardy made a great save against York at home, we scored in injury time at Forest Green and today it didn’t go for us but I can’t complain about the way the players tried to go out and win the game today,” he said.

“I lost count of how many we could have scored.

“Their goal was not a good one to concede because they got far too many crosses in during the first half.

“We seemed to sort that out at half time and I don’t remember too many crosses after that.

“To be fair to them they were causing us a few problems but we conceded only one goal and after the break the lads went out with some determination to try and get back in the game. They could not have done any more.

“If their goalkeeper has had a great day today it’s because of my players, but credit to Harriers too because they played well.”

Saunders had a special word for loan defender Ritchie De Laet, who was forced off with an ankle injury six minutes before the interval.

“He’s just got a whack on his ankle, but to be fair to him he’s playing when his stomach is not right and he’ll be having an operation soon,” he said. “He played knowing that so that’s a pat on the back for him.

“He’s the sort of player I want at the club, someone who wants to play all the time.

“And we didn’t lie down and die, which has happened in the past, so that’s all I can ask of them.”

Saunders added: “The second half was the best performance since I’ve been here.

“I don’t like being beaten but we can take some positives out of the performance.”

Debutant Patrick Suffo, who had a chance to equalise with his first contribution to the game when he replaced Carl Tremarco after 64 minutes, saw his goalbound effort turned away by Harriers keeper Adam Bartlett.

“I was able to get a shot on goal, but unfortunately the goalkeeper made a fantastic save, so that was disappointing,” said the former Cameroon international.

“But I am feeling pretty optimistic about things. We expected them to come at us like they did and I thought we responded well and we defended well.

“We contained them pretty much and we had three chances to score, all of them hitting the post, which is something I’ve never seen before. In the second half we crowded them and bossed the game.

“It would have been better if we had won but sometimes you lose and you can feel proud of the way you played. That’s how we felt at the end and the performance will stand us in good stead for the future.

“It was a good learning experience for some of the younger players and they will bounce back the stronger for playing this game.

“I’m very happy to be playing again and I’m happy to be playing for Wrexham. The way the team played today was like being in a winning team.”