PHIL PARKINSON felt there was more to come from Wrexham in the second half against Accrington Stanley but he was disappointed his side failed to raise their game at The Crown Ground.

The Reds’ suffered a 2-0 defeat in League Two as their 11-game unbeaten run came to an end.

It was all-square at the break with Wrexham having the best chances in an even first-half.

But the second period was only five minutes old when Accrington were awarded a penalty which was converted by Tommy Leigh and Rosaire Longelo scored a second goal to condemn Wrexham to just a third loss in 18 league outings.

Parkinson was unhappy with the way the game panned out after the interval with Wrexham still in the contest.

“We played okay in patches in the first half,” said Parkinson.

“We played some good football and created the best moments but I still felt we could go up a gear in the second half.

“When we went to Mansfield and created chances in that game, those came on the back of a real physicality about us as a team and I didn’t think we had that physicality about us enough across the board.

“Accrington is a difficult place to come, everybody knows that, but we still had the best quality moments in that first half, and we said at half-time that we can go up a notch, there’s four or five players who can up their game.

“Unfortunately for us, the penalty decision changed it and it gave Accrington something to really hang on to and they did it really well.

“They were physical all over the pitch and we never really got into our rhythm in the second period.”

With Jacob Mendy on international duty with Gambia and James McClean, available for the Reds after serving a one-match suspension but called into the Republic of Ireland squad earlier than expected, also missing then Jordan Davies was drafted in to play in the left wing-back position.

It was Davies who was alleged to have pulled down Matt Lowe in the area following a corner and Parkinson said referee Neil Hair got it wrong.

“It’s a terrible decision,” said Parkinson.

“The ball had gone over everybody and out of play so it’s very unusual in those circumstances to give a penalty.

“When you look at it back, if you give a penalty for that you are giving five or six a game.

“The lad has got hold of Jordan’s arm, there was a tiny bit of shirt-pulling but it is so harsh.

“I said to Steve Parkin at half-time as I was walking down the tunnel, we have got to be careful here that they don’t get into the referee at half-time.

“I could see certain decisions were going against us but that one was really poor.”