Evans is hopeful better times lie in store for Dragons

WREXHAM defender Steve Evans took little pleasure from scoring his first goal of the season at Chesterfield on Tuesday where the rock-bottom Racecourse club endured their sixth straight defeat.

The Wales international’s close-range header inspired a brave second-half comeback by the Dragons, who forced the home side to hang on desperately for a 2-1 victory.

And disappointed though he was, Evans claimed the team’s performance hinted at better times ahead.

“We made a poor start and we gave away two rubbish goals, but in the second half we came out and gave it a good go,” he said.

“I thought we showed we have the players here who can get us out of trouble.

“We should have got something out of the game after the goal, which I couldn’t really miss.

“We were the better team in the last 20 minutes and we had a few chances but it was the same old story.

“We conceded two stupid goals and we are not taking our chances at the other end. Nevertheless we proved that we aren’t going to roll over and that we’ll fight to the end and get ourselves out of trouble.”

His optimism was shared by Racecourse boss Brian Little, who took some encouragement from the Saltergate display that followed Wrexham’s previous improved showing against Stockport County.

“We’ve gone too long now without winning a game and it’s difficult because at the moment we are not a better team than those we are playing,” he said.

“But if we do what we’ve done in the second half (against Chesterfield) and on Saturday we should be okay and we’d have a chance.

“So we’ve got to find that formula, the players have got to respond in terms of effort and work rate and we obviously need to find a face or two just to brighten them up a little bit and then we’ve got to stop giving silly goals away.

“We’re at the halfway mark and now we have to really sort ourselves out and go. The important thing now is to turn the corner and in the last two games we really should have got something from them.

“It has shown that certain things are being learned that the players won’t forget and the fans saw that.

“They gave us some applause coming off the pitch because they know the players have had a go. They were disappointed, of course, but they know the team did themselves proud.”