Hayes 0 - 4 Wrexham

WREXHAM made it past round one of the FA Cup for the first time in five years - but whether they will be around to play in the next stage next month is anyone's guess, writes ANDY ROSE.

The Dragons coasted to a comfortable victory with first-half goals from Andy Holt, Dennis Lawrence and Hector Sam, Chris Llewellyn adding the second-half icing.

But it was events off the pitch that had everyone wondering if this could have been Wrexham's last hooray after 132 years.

An announcement is due tomorrow to clarify the immediate situation, with the two-man board expected to confirm their intention to take the club into administration in order to fend off a winding-up petition in the High Court on Wednesday.

Failing that, the directors will seek an adjournment on Wednesday, going into administration late in the week. The decision would bring an automatic 10-point deduction from the Football League.

But it would at least give the club a stay of execution and time to find a way out of their dire financial predicament.

Wrexham's travelling following of around 300 staged a demonstration before the game and also hurled abuse at former chairman Mark Guterman throughout the game and again at the end of the match.

Guterman, in the stands watching, confirmed he has made a bid to majority shareholder Alex Hamilton to purchase the club, but it is a toss-up to decide which man is more unpopular with fans.

Whatever the fans think, Wrexham boss Denis Smith admits a future with Guterman remains preferable to no future at all. "I've never been daft enough to tell fans what to do," said Smith.

"We've got to save the club one way or another, and if it's Mr Guterman, then we should be prepared to go along with it and see how we deal with it from there on.

"I hope I'm still in charge of a football club next week. If we have to go into administration, I'll go into administration. I won't like it, but I'll deal with it."

The £10,000 prize money for beating Hayes will be a drop in the ocean for a club with debts of more than £3m, but at least the players did their best to provide a satisfying display on the pitch.

After surviving a nervy opening 10 minutes when Hayes could have taken the lead, Wrexham got a grip on the cup tie.

Wing-back Holt received the ball from Sam after good work by Shaun Pejic on 17 minutes and drove his shot home.

The second goal came on 29 minutes when Lawrence met Matt Crowell's cross with his head and Sam headed home the third. Llewellyn made amends for an earlier miss with a neat finish off the inside of a post with eight minutes left.