DERYN BRACE is still haunted by the goal that denied Wrexham a place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time in the club's history.

The Reds have built up a reputation for causing cup upsets over the years and Brian Flynn's third tier side claimed the scalp of Premier League side West Ham United on route to the last eight of the famous competition in the 1996-97 season.

Chesterfield were the opponents for the all-Division Two affair at Saltergate but that is where the cup run came to a heartbreaking end as a defensive mix-up just before the hour mark proved costly.

A moment of hesitation between left-back Brace and goalkeeper Andy Marriott allowed Chris Beaumont to steal in and score the only goal of the game.

The tie took place 23 years ago last month and Brace says he has only seen a repeat of the goal once in that time.

"It is something you never forget, never get over," said Brace. "You just have to live with it.

"It is quite strange because I have only ever watched it through once and that was enough.

"At the time I knew what I was trying to do and when I watched it back, I thought 'wow, why have you done that?'

"Unfortunately it happened and I was the one, and the rest of the players, who has to live with it."

Wrexham knocked-out Division One side Birmingham to set up the clash with Chesterfield and Brace admits the Reds fancied their chances against the Spireites.

"No disrespect, it was who we went out to," said Brace.

"Had we gone out to West Ham or Birmingham, a lot of people would have expected it.

"This was the one game that everybody thought we could win; we weren't complacent, it just wasn't our day."

Brace recalls how Wrexham's cup adventure was nearly over before it started.

"The cup run started with Colwyn Bay," said Brace.

"I was suspended for the first game and Bryan Hughes scored to force a replay.

"It was strange to get to where we did in the quarter-finals thinking we almost went out to Colwyn Bay.

"I returned for the replay which was a tough game and we won, but I was injured for the next couple of cup games and I came back for Peterborough."

Wrexham's reward for beating West Ham in the third round, courtesy of Kevin Russell's last gasp winner, was a trip to Peterborough, another Division Two outfit.

Brace felt in some people's eyes that it was a forgone conclusion that the Posh would be heading to Birmingham in Round Five but Wrexham sealed a 4-2 win.

"We'd just beaten West Ham and there such a unique atmosphere at Peterborough," said Brace.

"There was a huge crowd there and loads of anticipation.

"Everybody thought we were just there to make the numbers up; the TV were doing a special piece on Barry Fry and going back to Birmingham because that was who had the winners had in the next round.

"But we came up trumps - that wasn't in the scrip - and it was a really, fast game. Two second division teams going hammer and tongs, really going at it."

Wrexham beat Birmingham 3-1 to reach the last eight, with Brace adding: "Another big crowd and we got the win against another team from a higher division.

"The FA Cup just seemed to bring something different out of us."

Brace feels the cup has lost some of its magic in recent times but the 45-year-old, who played for Wrexham from 1994 to 2000, thinks it will always be special for lower league clubs.

"The FA Cup last taken a bit of a battering over the last 10 years but when I played, the whole week revolved around the FA Cup," said Brace. "It was such a special week.

"It wasn't just about the game, it was the week's build-up and it was really good.

"For the lower league clubs, that is possibly how it still is; it is a shame in the earlier rounds the way some of the managers pick their teams but this sometimes give the lower league clubs an even greater opportunity of progressing."