WREXHAM manager Brian Flynn plans to give his players an early opportunity to build on Saturday's confidence-boosting 1- 1 draw with Colchester United.

With no first team fixtures scheduled for a fortnight, he has decided to give most of his senior players a run-out in tomorrow night's Avon Insurance Premier League match at Barnsley.

International call-ups for Wales pair David Walsh and Steve Thomas and Northern Ireland's Shaun Holmes have led to the postponement of second division matches against Reading and Bury and the Dragons' boss has been unsuccessful in a bid to arrange a high-profile friendly match later in the week.

Yesterday he said: "I tried to get either Leeds United or Everton to play in a friendly at the Racecourse on Friday evening, but unfortunately that was not possible, so we'll be looking to play the first team at Barnsley on Wednesday and possibly again against Birmingham City next week.

"The main idea is to keep everyone ticking over because the players don't really need a break or a rest at this time of the year."

Striker Lee Trundle, who has now completed a four-match suspension but must wait until Saturday week for his first league game of the season at Notts County, scored a hat-trick in last week's reserve outing against Oldham Athletic.

And, although yesterday's training session was cut short after he went over on his ankle, Trundle is expected to be fit to face the Yorkshire side. No such luck though for midfielder Wayne Phillips who has suffered a recurrence of the severe throat infection which laid him low during the close season.

Flynn (pictured above) said: "Wayne went down with quincy during the summer and he's obviously been very unlucky, because the doctors say that the chances of getting it a second time are fairly remote. He's staying away from the training ground for a few days in order to recover."

Otherwise there is a clean bill of health at Colliers Park and the players were in upbeat mood following Saturday's point-earning performance, which was achieved despite having Martyn Chalk and Darren Ferguson sent off.

"The manner in which we fought back must give everyone a huge amount of confidence," added Flynn. "The determination and character of those players who were left on the field was excellent.

"It was hard enough when we were down to ten men, with Craig Faulconbridge having to play on his own up front, but for the first 20 minutes of the second half we kept our discipline and shape. Then Darren was sent off, but the nine players left worked particularly hard and they got the reward they deserved."

Chalk, Ferguson and club captain Brian Carey, sent off for two bookable offences in last Tuesday's Worthington Cup tie against Hull City, will be suspended for the Notts County match and have been fined under Wrexham's internal disciplinary code.

Ferguson could face further punishment after kicking the ball at referee Mark Cowburn following his dismissal on Saturday. The official said he had taken evasive action to avoid being struck, and his report is likely to result in the midfielder being summoned to a Welsh FA disciplinary hearing.

* WREXHAM have re-arranged their postponed home match against Bury for Tuesday, September 11.