RELEGATION-HAUNTED Wrexham had to settle for yet another draw - their fourth in six league outings - at the Racecourse last night but in the end they were grateful for a point.

Despite taking the lead early in the second half, an out-of-sorts Dragons side then fell behind and were indebted to a late equaliser from substitute Hector Sam, his second goal in successive games, for a share of the spoils.

Seeking revenge for a Layer Road defeat when the sides met earlier this season, United soon tested the Wrexham backline, who allowed Gavin Johnson to steal in from the left to meet Greg Halford's cross, but the midfielder's cross-shot was parried by keeper Ben Foster in the fifth minute.

The home side failed to learn from that and were fortunate when Steve Hunt's header four minutes later flew straight at Foster before Kevin Watson saw a first-time shot charged down by Dennis Lawrence.

It was hardly the start Racecourse boss Denis Smith would have wanted from his side, who last won a league game a month ago.

His midfield were struggling to assert themselves and the home side were in more trouble after 28 minutes when a misunderstanding between Lawrence and Foster gave Neil Danns a glimpse of an open goal.

But between them - and under the watchful eye of referee Graham Salisbury - the Wrexham pair crowded him out and the official then had to speak to an angry United manager Phil Parkinson, who obviously believed his player had been unfairly impeded.

Having been under pressure up to that point, the home side began to come back into it, spurred on by Wales under-21 international Mark Jones, who demonstrated both pace and skill to break quickly and fire a shot just wide of Dean Gerken's goal.

Two minutes later he was prowling around the United penalty box again but his effort was blocked, although the visitors' defence failed to clear the danger and it was left to Lawrence to hook the ball well off-target.

Eight minutes before the break, Chris Armstrong got away down the right and picked out Chris Llewellyn, whose first touch let him down to allow Pat Baldwin to sweep the ball to safety.

And Lawrence, moving upfield for his side's first corner in the final minute of the half, then failed to trouble Gerken with a header that looped over the crossbar.

United squandered another good chance four minutes into the second period, when Johnson was unable to keep his shot down after Halford's cross was only partially cleared by Shaun Pejic and Wrexham went straight upfield to break the deadlock.

Armstrong won a header to feed Jones, who slipped his marker superbly to hit a tame effort which Gerken somehow managed to let slip under his body.

The goal temporarily lifted the sparse crowd but they were soon biting their fingernails again as the visitors hit back in impressive fashion.

Craig Fagan spurned a gift at the far post, mis-kicking after Lawrence failed to cut out Halford's centre and Johnson burst through, but could not steer the ball past Foster, who was out quickly to smother the threat.

The equaliser, though, came on the hour mark.

Foster did well to block a close-range header from Johnson but was still prone on the turf as Neil Danns reacted quickest with a diving header to level the contest.

Ten minutes later, Wrexham were behind - again from a set-piece - when Foster dropped Halford's header from a Watson corner.

The defenders managed to block a follow-up effort from Danns, but Wayne Brown forced the ball over the line.

The goal prompted movement on the home bench, with Craig Morgan and Hector Sam replacing Alex Smith and Llewellyn, but there was no immediate sign that the Dragons had either the heart or the firepower to pick up the tempo.

However the Trinidadian striker, who had come on as a substitute at Hull four days earlier to spark something of a revival, again came up trumps in the 80th minute with a fine header from a cross from his compatriot, Carlos Edwards.

As both sides went for the win, Edwards drove a stinging shot just wide of the United goal and Wrexham also had to defend nervously as they conceded a couple of late corners.