Match verdict: Wrexham 2 Mansfield Town 0

GUTS, stamina, pace and power were just some of the qualities that underwrote outsider Mon Mome's victory in Saturday's Grand National at Aintree.

Sadly, at another Racecourse not too far away in North Wales, none of those characteristics were evident in an atrocious Mansfield Town performance during a sporting contest of a different kind.

The Stags travelled west looking to come through on the rails with a late charge as the home straight of this Blue Square Premier season comes into view, starting with a victory at Wrexham.

Instead, an insipid showing – easily the worst since David Holdsworth took over as manager – meant Mansfield fell at the first fence in their bid to build up any kind of momentum.

Having been thumped 3-0 by Histon in midweek, the Stags have now lost their last four games on the road.

And worryingly, a previously watertight defence has suddenly sprung a leak with 11 goals shipped in that quartet of matches. It is hard to say precisely what has changed between now and when Holdsworth took over, when it seemed he could do no wrong.

True, the manager has been handicapped by rarely having his full-strength side to choose from.

The players themselves may point to anxiety over their futures with contracts to be decided. One or two may also complain about the end of a long season that has seen the club compete in four competitions.

Yet whatever the reasons, one thing is for sure: Holdsworth is not going to accept it as an excuse for the surrender he witnessed against the Red Dragons.

He was visibly fuming when he gave his post-match press conference.

It was an understandable reaction because his team lacked the aggression, energy, passion and guile to trouble a Wrexham side who had been on a shocking run themselves.

Prior to the Stags' arrival, the hosts had won just once in 11 games. But they were given just the break they needed when awarded an early penalty.

As Silvio Spann whipped in a ninth-minute cross, the ball struck Garner on the hand, rather than him deliberately trying to block it.

The referee pointed to the spot and teenage striker Obi Anoruo kept calm on his home debut for Wrexham to send Alan Marriott the wrong way.

Just before the half-hour mark, the lead was doubled as John Curtis' cross saw Andy Crofts get their first to steer a header just inside the left-hand post.

Mansfield had started with a 4-3-3 system for the first time in a while as Paul Mayo, Matt Somner, Curtis Woodhouse and Gianluca Havern came in for Alan O'Hare, Neil Mackenzie, Aaron O'Connor and groin injury victim Gary Silk. But with things clearly not working, Woodhouse, already booked, made way for Daryl Clare as the side reverted back to 4-4-2. Things might have been different – and certainly Mansfield would have been back in the game – had Garner's 39th-minute header from Nathan Arnold's cross not been disallowed for offside.

As it was, that let-off seemed to reinvigorate Wrexham and Neil Taylor was only inches away from making it 3-0. After delivering a dressing room rocket, Holdsworth would have hoped his charges would come out fighting.

Yet even that could not stir Mansfield and if they had been running in the big race at Liverpool, they would have been pulled up well short of the finish.

Only when Louis Briscoe was introduced did the Stags create anything of note as his powerful shot was pushed away by Gunnar Neilsen. Overall, however, the hosts coasted home.

Wrexham have now completed a hat-trick of wins over the Stags with this latest success after winning 2-1 at Field Mill in the League in October and by the same score again in the FA Trophy.

Behind the bare statistics, though, are more worrying things for Holdsworth to think about – namely the fate of much of his squad.

A number of players have already expressed a desire to continue their football in north Notts next season.

But if this is the best the players can do, most of them are going to be heading for pastures new.

Holdsworth insists those who disappointed in Wales still have the last six games to show they are worthy of wearing the amber shirt in 2009-2010.

Yet new faces or old, a vast improvement is needed if Mansfield are to make the step up from also-rans to front-runners next season – as Mon Mome did so admirably.