SHAUN PEARSON admits managerial changes have not helped Wrexham's cause and the Reds skipper hopes a settled season off the pitch can lead to success on it.

Sam Ricketts succeeded Dean Keates as manager for the 2018-19 campaign but after being lured away by Shrewsbury Town in December, his assistant Graham Barrow took over as Reds boss.

Barrow's spell in the Racecourse hotseat was shortlived with Bryan Hughes appointed manager in February, but Wrexham still secured a National League play-off spot for the first time in six years.

Defeat to Eastleigh in Thursday's eliminator signalled the end of the promotion dream and Pearson hopes continuity behind the scenes can boost Wrexham's chances of ending their Football League exile when the 2019-20 campaign kicks off.

"It will be nice if we can have some continuity and get settled," said Pearson. "A settled season would be nice.

"I think if we are in the same position next year, I am not giving excuses but it definitely would help if we had that settled season.

"It definitely does make a difference. I don't want to make excuses because ultimately we have come up short but the biggest difference it makes, as a group you have a manager and you know the dimensions of the group.

"You know where people are within it, whether some people are out of the squad or things like that, whether they like it or not is another matter, but ultimately everybody knows their place within the squad.

"Manager changes and all that gets thrown up in the air; it can be good for some people and bad for others but what it does do is the ones that have been consistent playing well, all of a sudden have doubts because they don't know who the new manager is going to be or if they want them.

"You find your feet again and then the same thing happens again.

"It is nobody's fault, you can't finger point as such, it is just a difficult thing to deal with.

"I thought in general the lads dealt with it really well, we got 84 points which is a really good effort but it is just frustrating because we felt like we did enough to get through against Eastleigh."

Pearson, beaten in the play-offs with previous club Grimsby before finally winning promotion in 2016, saw Wrexham create the better chances against Eastleigh who won thanks to a spectacular extra-time volley from captain Danny Hollands, but the centre-back says his team-mates can be proud of their efforts.

"One thing the lads can be really pleased with is nobody froze on the big stage," said Pearson. "We gave it absolutely everything.

"Personally I thought we were the better team and had numerous chances.

"A little bit more quality at times in that final third and a little bit more luck; we hit the bar twice and had two or three cleared off the line, and by all accounts had a perfectly good goal disallowed which is frustrating.

"You need a little bit of luck in the play-offs. I have been involved in a lot of play-off campaigns and that is as good a performance I have been involved in.

"We just didn't have any luck but that is the way it goes unfortunately.

"There is not much we can do about it now, it is frustrating and disappointing."

As well as Kieran Kennedy's goal controversially ruled out for a foul on goalkeeper Luke Southwood, Pearson and Bobby Grant both struck the crossbar and other efforts were cleared off the line either side of Eastleigh's extra-time winner.

"I don't think there is anybody to blame in particular," said Pearson. "I caught my header and just couldn't quite get over it.

"We didn't give up and the lads fought right to the end.

"You have got to give their lads credit as well, it is the near post man's job to fall back inside the post and he has done it three times so credit to him in terms of that."

When asked what the mood of the changing room was like following the final whistle, Pearson added: "It was silent.

"The gaffer said his piece and then what do you say?

"It is not like you are trying to pick yourself up for the next game or anything like that.

"All your hard work and effort in one season just goes down the brain basically which is frustrating."