WREXHAM’S title challenge is faltering badly and Graham Barrow admits it would be disappointing to settle for a play-off spot.

The Reds lost a fifth game in a row as they suffered a 2-0 defeat at promotion rivals AFC Fylde on Saturday.

Wrexham, challenging for the National League title last season, missed out on a top-seven finish following a woeful run-in and Barrow, appointed manager in December following the departure of Sam Ricketts to Shrewsbury, says that is the minimum requirement.

“We have just got to look after ourselves, we have got to get back on track,” said Barrow.

“We have looked at the league table last year, the year before, what was required to win it, what was required to get to second and third, what is required for the play-offs.

“You would have to be honest, you’d be disappointed with just the play-offs from where we are now so we have just got to find that character, dig deep within ourselves and come up with the answers.”

Despite the poor run of form, Wrexham, down to fifth in the table, are only four points off top spot as their promotion rivals also had contrasting fortunes.

Although Wrexham remain well placed, Barrow rued a missed opportunity with some teams around them also dropping points.

“It is about us, we will never get anywhere unless we start to win games ourselves,” said Barrow.

“If we had been winning recently we would be top of the league now so we have thrown that opportunity away but we have not thrown the whole thing away, that is the key thing to it.

“But I felt things worked better after a week’s work, we have got another week to go so we are going to carry on working on things.”

Barrow experimented for the FA Trophy defeat against Leyton Orient the previous weekend but welcomed back some of his regulars at Mill Farm, operating with a 4-1-4-1 formation, with Stuart Beavon leading the attack on his own.

A goal in each half condemned Wrexham to another loss and Barrow, who left recent striker signings Jason Oswell and Cole Stockton out of his starting XI, admits changes are in the offing for Saturday’s home clash with Maidenhead.

“It is finding the right combination up front,” said Barrow.

“I went back to more or less the team that beat Salford and Solihull, purely on what I’d seen in the week.

“We signed new players, we have got another week and we can have some practice matches and it is probably time for a few changes.”

Barrow explained why winger Ben Tollitt, who has extended his loan spell from Tranmere by another month, didn’t even make the squad.

“It was more with being loyal to the team that has got us to where we are,” said Barrow.

“They had a tough Christmas so you give them the benefit of the doubt; they got the nod so you look at people like Ben, Jason and everybody for next Saturday.”