DEAN KEATES has denied having crisis talks with Wrexham's board but knows his job is on the line if the Reds don't avoid relegation.

Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Ebbsfleet left Wrexham bottom of the National League - their lowest ever position - and Keates held talks with the club's directors the following day.

The club issued a statement apologising to supporters for Wrexham finding themselves at the wrong end of the table but Keates says strengthening his squad in the January transfer window was central to his conversation with The Racecourse hierarchy.

"We are a massive football club and we shouldn't be where we are but we are," said Keates.

"The only way we can get out of this situation is be united and stay together.

"I had a meeting with the board on Sunday. It wasn't a crisis meeting at all, we had a conversation with my assessments of going forward where we need to strengthen and what we need to do.

"They are passionate people, they're very proud Wrexham fans and Wrexham people, and they want the football club to go forward."

Wrexham responded by beating Eastleigh 2-0 on Tuesday night, a result that leaves the fourth from bottom Reds two points adrift of safety.

Keates, appointed manager for a second term in October, knows Wrexham still have a lot of work to do in the battle against the drop and accepts his position would be at risk if the Reds finish in the bottom four.

"I can't guarantee that we are not going to hit rock bottom again at some point, it is going to be tight down there," said Keates.

"We don't want to be there. Will we be there at the end of the season? I am fairly confident we won't but you never know.

"If we are, I would imagine I won't be having this conversation with you!

"There is a long way to go and we can build on the positive of what happened at Eastleigh."

Wrexham, who took just 20 points from the first 23 games, began the second half of the campaign with a positive result against the Spitfires where two goals from Omari Patrick sealed victory.

Keates feels Wrexham, celebrating an away win for the first time this season, have got something to build on against high-flying Solihull Moors at The Racecourse on Saturday.

"There is a long way to go," said Keates.

"We hit rock bottom. It wasn't as if we hit rock bottom with three games to go. We hit rock bottom after 23 games.

"It may change again at the weekend but we have got something to build on and we have to be positive, and we have to go forward.

"It is a clean sheet and a win away from home, and we haven't won away from home in a long time.

"We enjoyed it but we will recover well for what is going to be a really difficult game against Solihull."

Keates admits it has been tough since returning to The Racecourse but he remains focused on being successful.

"I am not going to deny it but it is hard," said Keates. "You don't want to be down there.

"I have come back to the football club and I want to play my part and take the club forward, and the board want to do the same.

"We want to get the club back into the Football League.

"We have been on the end of fine margins. Performances haven't always been bad, in my opinion we have deserved something out of every single game.

"We didn't need any luck against Eastleigh. The lads defended unbelievably well to a man so hopefully that is something that we can build on."