SATURDAY'S red-card protest orchestrated by a group of Wrexham fans against the perceived mismanagement of the club by Racecourse chairman Mark Guterman left them with slightly red faces after the vast majority of home supporters ignored the opportunity to demonstrate dissastisfaction with the present boardroom regime.
What must have been even more galling for the ring-leaders was the fact Brighton's healthy contingent of followers whole-heartedly embraced the concept, primarily because their club has been without a home to call its own ever since the Goldstone Ground was sold for redevelopment.
That's not to say Dragons fans don't have valid concerns about the future, especially in view of the off-field problems with which manager Denis Smith and his players have had to contend during a turbulent period since the turn of the year.
And it's entirely reasonable to question last week's announcement that the club's tenure at the Racecourse will be secured by a £2.2m purchase of the freehold within six weeks - a Guterman pledge that requires a huge leap of faith from those who, with some justification, have little confidence in his previous track record of running a football club.
But it's no less reasonable to recall that the club was closer two years ago than now to going into administration when Guterman stepped in to relieve Pryce Griffiths of what was becoming an unwanted burden.
Now he's saying: "Judge me on what I do, not on what you think I'm going to do," and his scheme to deliver a viable way forward and remain at the Racecourse is what everyone with Wrexham's interest at heart wants to see.
Unusually, Guterman used Saturday's match programme to try to persuade the sceptics.
"There has been a lot of rumour and speculation over the past few weeks concerning myself, my board and the future of Wrexham FC," he wrote.
"While this negativity has not helped the image and the running of the club we have, during the same period, been working diligently to secure the long-term future of the club.
"I personally would not usually comment on rumour but there is one I keep hearing that I cannot leave unanswered. That is to state categorically that this club will not go into administration while I am at the helm.
"Everyone knows the current state of the game and how hard it is for most clubs to keep their heads above water. At Wrexham we are no exception.
"In the future if we want to compete at the highest level we have to be pragmatic, innovative and examine all possible routes to generate additional revenue for the club.
"There is a real need for change. "In the close season we are hoping to make a significant announcement about our redevelopment plans for our home, the Racecourse Ground.
"This I believe will be a watershed for our club and lay the foundations for future success."
Failure to meet his self-imposed deadline will put Guterman in an untenable position and the club in crisis. Yet, crucially, no one - least of all the protesting fans - has come up with an acceptable alternative.
In such circumstances the only answer is to hope for the best as Smith made clear after a once-promising Second Division campaign drew to a disappointing close against an Albion side who plundered all three points.
Asked where Wrexham go from here, he said: "We start building for next season. I had four players in last week on trial and I am talking to players all the time.
"I'm hoping to have some idea by the end of the week what my budget is going to be so I can start talking to the players I've got here.
"I've got 14 out of contract so those have to be sorted one way or the other. I need to see who wants to stay and who doesn't.
"You need people with you to achieve things and everybody pulling in the same direction. You need everybody wanting the same things."
That was as close as he came to acknowledging the demonstration, having previously dismissed it in no uncertain terms. "I will talk about the match, the rest is just b******s, to be honest," he said.
By the time the red cards were held aloft 10 minutes into the game, Wrexham were behind. Striker Chris Iwelumo, who had already squandered a third-minute opportunity by firing straight at goalkeeper Mike Ingham, met a flick-on from teammate Adam Virgo to send a looping header into the net off the underside of the bar.
The Wrexham keeper then saved well from Leon Knight as the home side started sluggishly.
But once wing-backs Paul and Carlos Edwards began to stretch their legs it was game on.
Brian Carey steered a header too close to Albion keeper Ben Roberts, Chris Llewellyn and Hector Sam combined well to split the visitors' defence but the Trinidad international's return left his strike partner too much to do and when Llewellyn did have a genuine chance, his shot rebounded off the crossbar.
Wrexham's misfortune frustrated Smith, who said: "Theirs was a straightforward goal but the luck went for them in their situation.
"The ball has hit the underside of the bar and gone in. We went up the other end, the ball's hit the underside of the bar and it's come out."
But the home side were not discouraged even though they lost Steve Thomas to breathing difficulties after 26 minutes and Jim Whitley retired with a dead-leg injury three minutes before the break.
Carlos Edwards was denied by the agile Roberts, who stretched to flick his goal-bound effort for a corner, Paul Edwards squirmed his way past three defenders to reach the penalty area before Gary Hart blocked his progress and the Brighton keeper again displayed magnificent reactions to keep out a powerful header from Dennis Lawrence.
The visitors were under severe pressure but Wrexham could not find an equaliser, substitute Chris Armstrong's first touch bringing Roberts into action again and, from the subsequent corner, the Wrexham player's diving header was wide of the target.
The home side's spirited display augured well for the second period but all the optimism evaporated within five minutes of the restart when Lawrence, earlier named the fans' Player of the Year, inadvertently headed the ball into his own net in attempting to deal with Virgo's long throw-in.
Albion, needing only a point to secure a fourth-place finish and home advantage in the second leg of their play-off semi-final next week, simply shut up shop and challenged their opponents to break them down. It wasn't pretty but it was mighty effective, as time and again Wrexham, never at their best in such cirumstances, came up against a solid wall of blue and white shirts.
And when a chink did appear in the 88th minute, not only was it too late but Armstrong was also unable to put his header on target from a Paul Edwards cross, one of the rare decent balls delivered by the wing-back, who otherwise had looked to be his side's best attacking option.
WREXHAM: Ingham; Roberts, Carey (Morgan 74), Lawrence; C Edwards, Thomas (Barrett 26), Ferguson, Whitley (Armstrong 42), P Edwards; Llewellyn, Sam. Subs: Whitfield, Holmes.
BRIGHTON: Roberts; Cullip, Hart (McPhee 67),Virgo, Harding; Butters, Oatway, Reid, Jones (Piercy 78); Iwelumo (El-Abd 59), Knight. Subs: Kuipers, Mayo.
REFEREE: Peter Walton ATT: 4,542
