MUGGED BY WOMBLES;Even rival manager admits visitors committed 'daylight robbery' at the Racecourse

BLUE SQUARE BET PREMIER WREXHAM 1 Mangan 27 AFC WIMBLEDON 2 Jolley 47, Yussuff 83 THAT Wrexham went down to their first home defeat of the season on Saturday yet were warmly applauded off the pitch by their fans says everything about their fine performance, the like of which has not been witnessed at the Racecourse for many a long year.

The Dragons, in the words of their manager Dean Saunders, 'absolutely pummelled' high-flying AFC Wimbledon for virtually the whole of the afternoon and were superior in all aspects of the game save when it came to putting the ball into the back of the net.

A host of inviting opportunities to put the outcome beyond doubt came and went before Wimbledon substitute Rashid Yussuff snatched an 83rd minute winner.

"If I was Dean I would be absolutely distraught because his team were the better team," said manager Terry Brown. "I said on the coach on the way up that when we've played badly in the past we have lost the game. If we are going to get into the play-offs we have to learn the knack of playing badly and nicking points.

"We certainly nicked the points today and if they (Wrexham) had had their shooting boots on it would have been long gone. They battered us first half, but what pleased me, after I gave them their first roasting of the year, was that they came out fighting in the second half.

"This is a very difficult place to come to - it's their first home defeat for ages - and I can see why. They have a very potent forward line who put you under all sorts of physical pressure, and on another day they would have beaten us three or four."

When the microphones were switched off, the Dons boss added - to no-one in particular - "It really was daylight robbery".

No doubt tempted to drown their sorrows, Wrexham's players could at least console themselves with the knowledge they will play far worse this season and win matches.

Equally important, though, is the indication that this new-look Dragons outfit is developing a streak of consistency capable of matching most of the other Blue Square Bet Premier big-hitters, together with a hint that deficiencies could be addressed in the transfer window.

Writing in the match programme, chairman Ian Roberts said: "We are looking at options to expand our squad in January. There could be some loan deals in the offing and it would be nice to bring in some new faces for when a few legs start to tire."

That being the case, Wrexham need to tighten up at the back where experienced defenders Marvin Andrews and Frank Sinclair, for all the quality they bring, are no longer as quick as they once were.

And the team's offensive options, promising though they have been since Saunders adopted a 4-3-3 strategy, might be improved by the return from a loan spell at Kidderminster of Marc Williams, rather than having to rely on the relatively untried Mathias Pogba or Adrian Cieslewicz to change a game.

From virtually the second minute of the game, when Andy Mangan's goalbound shot was deflected for a corner, there was only one team in it.

Twice in the opening quarter Andrews won headers from Dean Keates' corners but was unable to keep them on target and the visitors enjoyed their first slice of luck when a superb move saw Jay Harris send Neil Ashton down the flank to cross the ball for Andy Morrell, who slammed an acrobatic volley against the crossbar.

The home side deservedly went ahead on 27 minutes. Ashton's run into space was anticipated by Keates and the full back measured his cross perfectly for Mangan to take a touch before thumping it past goalkeeper Seb Brown to end a drought stretching back to March when he last scored - also against Wimbledon.

Continuing to run rings around the opposition, Wrexham believed they were denied a 35th minute penalty when Curtis Obeng's surge into the box was halted by Chris Bush's untidy intervention.

Gareth Taylor, who held the ball up and linked well throughout, should have tested Brown and Harris, terrier-like and hugely energetic, got into the box to meet another Ashton cross, although his diving header lacked pace.

But it went back to all-square two minutes into the second half when the home defence switched off and Jolley raced in to convert Jackson's cross.

Twice in the space of two minutes Taylor had the goal at his mercy, but was firstly denied by Brown and then fired high after excellent approach play from Mangan.

Such profligacy spelt disaster in the offing and it duly transpired as the visitors counter-attacked with seven minutes remaining and when Danny Kedwell headed down another Jackson cross, substitute Yussuff gleefully tucked the ball past Maxwell.

MATCH FACTS WREXHAM: Maxwell 7; Obeng 7, Andrews 8, Sinclair 7, Ashton 9; Harris 8 (Tolley 87), Keates 8, Blackburn 8 (Pogba 87); Taylor 7, Mangan 7, Morrell 8. Subs: Shearer, Brown, Cieslewicz.

BOOKED: Obeng, Blackburn. AFC WIMBLEDON: Brown; Jackson, Yakubu, Harris, Bush; Wellard (Yussuff 81), Gregory, S Moore (L Moore 33), Hatton; Jolley, Kedwell. Subs: Turner, Main, Franks.

BOOKED: Hatton, Gregory, Jackson.

REFEREE: M McLaughlin. ATTENDANCE: 3,277.

MAN OF MATCH NEIL ASHTON: Turned in a fine performance both defensively and going forward MAGIC MOMENT Neil Ashton's cross was acrobatically volleyed onto the bar by Andy Morrell