Hawks were ‘caught cold’ early in the second half as Wrexham edged thrilling contest

The home side could count themselves unlucky at the end not to get anything out of the game on Saturday.

Results elsewhere also meant they slipped back into the Vanarama National League relegation zone.

The Hawks led 1-0 at half-time courtesy of a Joe Quigley penalty.

They were blown away, however, in a devastating three goal burst from the visitors immediately after the break.

To their credit Bradbury’s team refused to give up and Alfie Rutherford reduced the deficit to set up a grandstand finish.

In the end it was the Welsh side under pressure and hanging on.

Bradbury appreciated the bravery of his side but was frustrated by their defensive frailties.

He said: ‘Apart from 15 minutes of the game we more than matched the team third in the league.

‘We allowed them to catch us cold at the start of the second half.

‘Poor decisions were made and they punished it for us.

‘A little bit of naivety cost us the game.

‘Someone doesn’t mark his man at a corner and they equalise.

‘Tyler Cordner then tried to play the ball out of our area when he should have just put his boot through it.

‘Then Hassan Jalloh, a forward back defending, gets caught square and they play the ball in behind him.

‘Suddenly from being a goal up we find ourselves 3-1 down.

‘We could easily have capitulated at that point and ended up losing four or five one.

‘Instead we fought back and were unlucky in the end not to snatch a point.’

Both teams showed positive intent from the start with the Hawks striking the first blow after 15 minutes.

Wrexham failed to clear a corner and when the ball was returned into the area Wes Fogden was bundled over.

Quigley, making his home debut, buried his spot-kick into the bottom corner of the net.

Wrexham came out at the start of the second period and blitzed the Hawks with three quick-fire goals.

For a spell the Hawks were on the ropes but they managed to dig in and regroup.

After Rutherford fired his low shot into the far corner on 59 minutes the initiative passed back to the Hawks.

Deep into stoppage-time Quigley saw his low goal bound shot brilliantly tipped onto the post by the Wrexham goalkeeper.

Bradbury added: ‘We are disappointed because we lost.

‘I couldn't fault the application and hard work of the players.

‘Losing is frustrating but at the same time I am proud of the effort the players put in.’

Hawks: Dudzinski, James (Strugnell 45), Cordner, Rose, Williams (Paterson 78), Fogden, Paul, A. Robinson, Jalloh (Sekajja 79), Rutherford, Quigley.