AS A send-off it was a muted affair, as a match it was listless, but Brian Pritchard's 457th and last appearance gave Saturday's end-of-season game a little poignancy.
The man himself turned in the same committed performance as always, meeting every challenge wholeheartedly. He even had a go at goal but was way off target.
The Witton skipper was clapped on to the pitch by the players and applauded off by the fans, at the end of 10 roller-coaster years. He joined when Albion were millionaire-backed and stayed through the lean seasons, leading a recovery in his inimitable style.
A shame then Albion could not produce a win to say farewell and a shame also the referee did not see fit to award Witton one of two possible penalties when, surely, Mike Moseley would have handed over his spot-kick duties to Pritchard.
The first was a foul - or so most thought - on Ian Latham by Tony Tansley in the first half and the second saw Adam Foy sandwiched between defenders.
Jordan King could justifiably blame a bobbling pitch when he scooped the first chance, an excellent one, over the crossbar.
Wakefield took the lead in 24 minutes when Steve Kenworthy burst through the defence and appeared to have been thwarted by Andy Ralph. But the striker recovered to pull the ball back for his captain Marc Thompson to drill home from 20 yards.
Witton were level in 41 minutes when King started a good right-flank move. Lee Spike ushered the ball on to Moseley whose bottom-corner finish was a reminder as to why Witton are so happy he has signed a new contract.
The second period was mainly Witton pressing but with little penetration. Three substitutions failed to find the necessary spark. Wakefield had no subs and saw out the game with the 11 who started - one of the brightest, Kenworthy, putting their final chance wide.
Spike twice underhit shots and Moseley's only second-half effort was not even vaguely at the target. And the season of two near misses for Witton - in the play-offs and the President's Cup - drew to a tame close.
WITTON: Ralph; King, Farley, Pritchard, Latham; Stannard (Baker 62), Lally (Yates 73), Foy, Connors (Byrne 57); Spike, Moseley.
Attendance: 322 Star Man: Brian Pritchard, who else? Next Best: Ian Latham Team Rating: 3 Match Rating: 2
