AT the end of last season, Stanley were forced to watch MK Dons celebrating a play-off place - and manager John Coleman wanted a bit of that.

This season, the Reds witnessed the other side - the tears and disbelief as they ended up part of Wrexham’s relegation woes and no Stanley fan wants that.

In truth, it wasn’t hard to see why the Welsh side, on the pitch, are facing non-league football next season.

But off the field, Wrexham is one of the matches Reds’ supporters looked forward to - a close trip and a decent stadium which will now grace the Blue Square Premier League.

And it was sad to watch what had happened to Brian Little’s side with 3000 fans all bemoaning the end to Wrexham’s 87-year-life in the Football League.

It was something the Reds do not want to experience and, after two seasons teetering on the edge of the drop, all connected with the club will be praying for a more comfortable time in the new campaign.

Saturday’s clash did have an end of season feel about it with Wrexham already relegated and Stanley safe.

Due to this, Coleman fielded two teenagers who signed professional contracts recently - giving 18-year-old defenders Jay Bell, son of assistant manager Jimmy, and Peter Murphy a sample of League Two life.

And the two, well-supported by the more experienced professionals around them, coped well.

But, in fairness, the Wrexham forward line was by no means the deadliest and, despite pressure, it was a comfortable afternoon for the Reds.

Coleman admitted it was nice to have the chance to turn to youth.

"They have all had a taste now, including Chris Turner and Andrew Smith in earlier games, and these are four lads who have come up from the youth system and it is testament to Phil Hackney and the job he has done.

"The defence has defended stoutly and, if you take Leam Richardson out of the equation, the defence is early 20s, 18 and 18 - it was a young back four and they coped well.

"Both Bell and Murphy had to deal with a different pace than they have been used to but they stuck to their task and it will put them in good stead for next season."

Coleman had been bemoaning his side’s luck this season but he must have been sparing a thought for Wrexham as they must have walked under a ladder and ran over a black cat.

The home fans wanted a rousing end to their life at the Recreation Ground in the Football League but instead it was a comedy of errors which showed which way it was to go.

Cavanagh and Bell combined well on the right and the latter played in a deep cross to the far post in the seventh minute.

Bobby Grant headed it - a looping, seemingly harmless, header which fell down the back of the hapless Shaun Pejic, passed keeper Michael Jones and rolled into the net.

The goalie has not played since October and was trying to impress - that would not have helped.

"It was a fluke but we have been on the end of a lot of those," said Coleman with the debate still raging as to whether it was Grant’s first league goal or an own goal.

"For me it was Bobby Grant’s - I would not be giving it to anyone else.

"He should have made more of it as if it was me, I would have been running around with my arms up," joked the Reds boss.

There was a kind of mute celebration - complete bewilderment - after the goal but the Reds didn’t take long to make sure it was two.

And it came from an unlikely source in captain Peter Cavanagh who was playing right midfield with Bell in his right back position.

Man of the Match Shaun Whalley had done all the hard work on the wing and he fired in a cross which was pushed out by Jones and the skipper charged in to steer the ball over the line.

Coleman has been furious as his side have thrown two-goal leads away in the past but this was never going to happen with the Welsh side not having scored three goals in a game all season.

In fact, except the two goals in the first half, the only incidents of note were a heated exchange between Ian Craney and Steve Evans after the latter had been barged into the dug out and Levi Macken and Phil Edwards got involved in the centre of the park with Grant also seeming to raise a hand.

The bad tempers seemed unnecessary in such a game where there was really no pressure on either side.

But the home fans demanded more after the break and got it as two substitutions - especially the introduction of right winger Wes Baynes - made a difference.

Wrexham were largely a young side, made up of players coming through the ranks and ones who will probably be heading for the exit door come May 3.

But Baynes added an extra dimension and they did press in the first 20 minutes as they looked to get back in the game.

And Chris Llewellyn should have done better when he raced through and shrugged off the attentions of Murphy and Edwards but blasted well over with only the virtually redundant Kenny Arthur to beat.

That chance gone and Whalley carved out an opportunity of his own to score a goal he will remember. He broke the off-side trap and charged forward on the right of the area before expertly clipping the ball past Jones and in off the far post. It was his third goal of the season - but his first on a Saturday.

"It was a great finish by Shaun - a confident finish and when he is on top of his game, it is difficult to stop him," said Coleman.

"Unfortunately for Shaun he hasn’t shown it consistently this season."

Sub Jay Harris had a shot which hit the post and Paul Mullin just couldn’t force the rebound over the line while striker Mullin had a go near the end which produced a good two-handed save out of Jones.

Then, with almost the final kick of the game, Edwards was judged to have brought down Llewellyn in the area. It was hard to see but the defender did appear to clip his heels and the striker fell.

Up stepped Wrexham’s Player of the Season Neil Roberts and he made sure Stanley didn’t have a clean sheet by sending Arthur the wrong way.

"The harsh reality is that that is now nine away wins and if we had shown anywhere near that at home, we would have been challenging for the play-offs," added the Reds chief.

And that’s where they want to be, having hopefully learned vital lessons from this season - and, after sampling Wrexham’s sorrow first hand, being determined not to follow in their footsteps.