"We did not have the cutting edge to finish them off, even though we piled on the pressure," admitted the stand-in manager..

"It is soul-destroying to be relegated," added Sheedy, who has been in charge of the side ever since John Aldridge stood down in February.

"We needed to win to give ourselves a fighting chance.

"The players have given their all but our frailties have let us down.

"It was always going to be difficult to turn it round overnight. We did not get the results we deserved and we have not got great strength in depth.

"But we still have some pride to play for in the closing matches."

Palace manager Alan Smith has sympathy for Sheedy's position and a point did little to ease his side's own precarious position.

"It was always going to be tough and Tranmere were not going to go down without a fight," he said.

"It is still in our own hands to survive. If we are tough enough and good enough, which I think we are, we will stay up.