THE miserable defeat to Bromley at Hayes Lane made it 10 games without a win in all competitions for Wrexham on artificial surfaces.

Since the Reds tackled Maidstone at the 3G Gallagher Stadium pitch on September 3, 2016 - a game they drew 2-2 - both goals and points have been very hard to come by.

Wrexham have pocketed just four more points and scored only four more goals since that trip, where Callum Powell scored twice for Gary Mills' men, who led with 13 minutes remaining.

And that's arguably as good as it has got for Wrexham on artificial surfaces with a 1-0 defeat to Sutton at Gander Green Lane following three months later under Dean Keates.

A new season failed to spark the Reds into life at the Gallagher Stadium, Wrexham slipping to a 2-1 defeat as the on-loan Alex Reid saw his opener go without reward in a game where the visitors had both Manny Smith and Mark Carrington dismissed.

Signs of progress appeared in the new year as Wrexham recorded back-to-back 1-1 draws at Sutton and Bromley, who had converted their Hayes Lane pitch to an artificial surface at the start of the season.

Scott Quigley found the net for Wrexham at Sutton, the visitors squandering the lead, before Andy Davies led the Reds out at Bromley.

That trip to Bromley in March last year was perhaps Wrexham's best chance to end their barren run on artificial surfaces as James Jennings broke the deadlock early in the second-half after the hosts had Roger Johnson sent-off before the break.

But Bromley found a leveller from the penalty spot Brandon Hanlan and the Reds were unable to find a winner against 10-men.

This season offered Sam Ricketts the chance to end Wrexham's frustrating run on 3G pitches, but a 3-0 defeat at Sutton suggested that the problem is not an easy fix.

"Whatever could have gone wrong today did go wrong," said Ricketts, who saw his side concede a 15th minute penalty and have Luke Summerfield dismissed before the break.

A better performance - and result - was to follow three days later as Wrexham went to Harrogate Town's Wetherby Road ground and came away with a goalless draw.

Having seen home goalkeeper James Belshaw earn the man of the match award, Ricketts said: "I think it's a good point given Harrogate's start to the season, coming here and playing on 3G."

There was a repeat scoreline at Harrogate as Wrexham headed to north Yorkshire in the FA Cup, before the Reds picked up a rare point at Maidstone as Brad Walker cancelled out Simon Walton's opener.

Graham Barrow had what looked like the ideal opportunity to end Wrexham's artificial surface hoodoo at Bromley last night, but he became the fifth manager to fail.

He said: "We have been on this surface three or four times this season.

"We learnt from the Sutton one, and we talked about it before the game, everybody thinks it is going to be a beautiful football game because it is flat but it is not.

"It is about competing for the ball all the time and we didn't do that first half.

"Second half we did and we gave ourselves a glimmer of hope but not great enough."

So that's five points from a possible 27 in the league and only six goals for and 13 against in 10 matches in all competitions.

At least Wrexham have finished their artificial surface schedule for another season, by the end of which the Reds will hope to be back in the Football League.

THE TALE OF WOE:

Maidstone 2-2 Wrexham - September 3, 2016

Sutton 1-0 Wrexham - December 17, 2016

Maidstone 2-1 Wrexham - August 19, 2017

Sutton 1-1 Wrexham - February 17, 2018

Bromley 1-1 Wrexham - March 30, 2018

Sutton 3-0 Wrexham - September 22, 2018

Harrogate 0-0 Wrexham - September 25, 2018

Harrogate 0-0 Wrexham - October 20, 2018 - FA Cup

Maidstone 1-1 Wrexham - November 17, 2018

Bromley 2-0 Wrexham - January 8, 2019