DENIS SMITH threatened to wield the axe on his Wrexham defenders after the Dragons slumped to their second league defeat in a week.

The furious Racecourse boss rounded on his players in the wake of Saturday's home 2-0 home defeat to Lincoln City.

Smith stood by the personnel that lost 4-3 to third division leaders Hartlepool a week before - but warned his sympathy is running out after another defensive horror show.

He said: "They were bad defensive errors. It was basic stuff and I'll have to look at the other defenders I've got available and see what I can do.

"We have worked on things, but if you don't defend when attacking, then you will get yourself in trouble. We got caught twice when attacking and not doing the right thing defensively."

Wrexham paid for sloppy defending as they went behind to Dean Cropper's 47th-minute opener before sub Paul Smith completed their misery 13 minutes from time to leave them in 13th place, nine points off the pace.

Smith, who is now turning his thoughts to tomorrow's visit to York City, added: "It was an extremely bad result. If you can't defend straight balls, then that gives you problems.

"They just knocked two balls forward and got in twice."

With veteran defender Brian Carey pushing for a starting place and Trinidad defender Dennis Lawrence recovering from injury, Smith could ring the changes tomorrow.

Smith said: "To have as much of the ball as we did and not score, then you should at least end up with 0-0. It was disappointing to have so much possession and create so many chances and not look like putting away those chances we did get.

"The longer it went 0-0, we could possibly have kept it tight and scrambled a goal to win it 1-0 but once they had gone in front, it gave them more to hang on to.

"We are a team and if we lose, it's down to the defenders as well as the attackers.

"We should be towards the top of the league by now but we are not but I still think we can gain promotion. The season lasts 46 games, not two.

"There were some positive aspects of the game. Darren Ferguson did well for me, Carlos started well but his final ball was not up to it and what Paul Whitfield had to do, he did well."

Wrexham open their FA Cup adventure with a home tie against third division rivals Darlington on November 16. The Dragons beat the Quakers 1-0 last month at Feethams.

And in the second round of the LDV Vans Trophy, Wrexham travel to Nationwide Conference club Leigh RMI on Tuesday, November 12.