THE wear and tear of a long season has finally caught up with Wrexham, skipper Darren Ferguson admitted yesterday.
The midfielder - who missed the club's Easter programme through suspension - trained yesterday, despite the fact manager Denis Smith had given the rest of his senior players a day off.
And no one is more disappointed than the Scot that three successive defeats - for the first time since the opening day of the campaign - have finally ended any hopes of reaching the Second Division play-offs.
Six of Smith's first-choice senior players either missed or failed to complete Monday's 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Hartlepool United.
And Ferguson, who watched from the stands, said: "Three defeats on the bounce tells its own story at a time when we were looking for three straight wins.
"The squad has been really stretched by injuries and suspensions in recent weeks and we've not been able to cope with it.
"That's cost us dearly, which is even more disappointing when you consider we had given ourselves a chance of getting into the play-offs."
But Ferguson said the silver lining for the club had come from the younger players called up to fill the gaps on the team-sheet.
"Lads like Matty Crowell and Simon Spender have come into the side and they've shown they are not out of place at this level," he added.
"Another youngster, Levi Mackin, has also been in the squad recently and he'll no doubt get his chance soon. They are all capable players and the only thing they are lacking is a bit of experience."
Spender came off the bench on Monday after Trinidadian wing-back Carlos Edwards was forced off the field with a hamstring strain and just minutes later Jim Whitley suffered a similar injury, piling on the problems for an already patched-up Dragons' side.
"We were clearly the better side before those two went off," said Ferguson.
"It was tough on the other lads and we fell away a bit in the second half. But when Paul Barrett scored from nothing, we were back in it and probably were unlucky not to finish with at least a draw.
"But that's behind us now and, even if the play-offs are beyond us, we have five games left and we have to be looking to win them all and pile up the points.
"The last thing we want is for this run of defeats to carry on - and I don't think for a moment it will. I know we are more than capable of winning every game that we've got left. On top of that, we've still got the FAW Premier Cup final to look forward to."
Wrexham will field probably the youngest reserve team in their history this evening when Oldham are the visitors to the Racecourse (7pm) for the Dragons' last home game in the current Pontins Holiday League programme.
With only goalkeeper Paul Whitfield released from the first-team pool, coach Joey Jones will have to rely on first-year scholars for the bulk of his side, together with several teenagers who are on trial at the club.
