Brian Little won't accept any misery from his players

Wrexham manager Brian Little has admitted the club faces a "massive, massive hill" if it is to avoid relegation from the Football League.

The Dragons lost 2-1 at fellow strugglers Mansfield on Tuesday and face another troubled club, Macclesfield, at home on Saturday.

Little said: "There's a massive, massive hill ahead of us now. Massive. But what do you do?

"You don't run or hide. We must roll our sleeves up and win on Saturday."

Feature: Iwan Roberts on Wrexham's plight

We all know what people up and down the country will say. We've got to try our best to prove them wrong Brian Little

Wrexham are rooted to the bottom of the table, eight points adrift of third-from-bottom Notts County with seven games remaining.

Little said: "We'll take it from there. But we all know where we sit.

"We all know what people up and down the country will say. We've got to try our best to prove them wrong, but whether we can or not remains to be seen.

"I said most people up and down the country would predict we'd go down if we lost this game and I accept that's what they will think.

"But it's the same message I've said from day one. We'll try and we're trying very hard.

"I've never said anything else. We don't do it any other way. We're very committed, but we do really cause our own problems.

606: DEBATE I'd like to see Wrexham survive but it looks difficult now MisterPosh

"I'll be able to pick the boys up, 100%. We won't give in. We won't accept miserable, horrible faces on Thursday morning."

Little described the penalty decision for hand ball against Gareth Evans as "ludicrous".

"I thought there were some poor decisions in the game and in a game like that you need good decisions," he said.

"For him to give a penalty from there, I thought was ludicrous to be honest.

"There are a couple of occasions when we've played poorly and been off the pace, but we've had a go.

"That's our motto and we'll continue to have a go."

Former Wales striker Iwan Roberts was pessimistic about the Dragons' chances.

Behind the scenes Wrexham are probably planning for life in the Conference Former Wales striker Iwan Roberts

"They need to win at least five of their last seven games, and as they haven't put back-to-back league wins together all season that's looking nigh-on impossible," he told BBC Radio Wales.

"It wasn't a bad performance at Mansfield, but the biggest factor was that Wrexham didn't take advantage of the big wind at their back in the first half.

"Mansfield couldn't wait to get out for the second half, they got two early goals and it was all over.

"Wrexham will obviously give it their all for the rest of the season, but behind the scenes they are probably planning for life in the Conference.

"Wales lost Newport from the league a few years ago and they can't afford to lose another club.

"I can see Swansea winning promotion this year and Cardiff going all the way in the FA Cup, but Wrexham's plight breaks my heart, especially as a north Walian.

"It's tough to bounce back from the Conference, and if they don't do it in the first season they could be down there for a while."