WEYMOUTH manager David Oldfield had perspective in mind after the Terras were relegated to the National League South, insisting: “We cannot feel sorry for ourselves”.
Oldfield’s men were beaten 6-1 by a Wrexham side that motored through the gears in the second half, sending the Terras to their first relegation since the 2009/2010 season when they dropped to Southern League level.
It came after a first half in which a vibrant Weymouth worried Wrexham at regular intervals, Tom Bearwish scoring a superb 20th-minute opener.
But the Red Dragons came out for the second 45 with fire in their bellies, scoring six goals in 36 minutes to underline their promotion credentials and seal a play-off spot.
Jordan Davies equalised with a 25-yard stunner before Paul Mullin – top scorer in League Two last season – flicked a header into the far corner less than a minute later.
READ MORE: Weymouth 1-6 Wrexham - how it happened
James Jones made it 3-1 with a finish high into the roof of the net after Davies had scythed open the Weymouth defence with a glorious pass.
Davies, whose quality shone throughout, then scored a majestic fourth when he showed sublime touch to cushion a cross over his shoulder, spin and volley a fierce low strike into the bottom corner.
With Weymouth needing to score four goals at this point to delay the drop, they could find no answer to Wrexham as Mullin stole in at the back post for 5-1.
And another big signing, Ollie Palmer, netted a sixth with six minutes to go, rounding off a half that emphasised the gulf between the sides in both footballing and financial terms.
Speaking to Echosport, Oldfield pointed towards the war in Ukraine for a wider outlook compared to the disappointment of relegation.
“There are so many things going on in the world,” he said.
“It’s a football match, it hurts, but I have to remember how lucky and fortunate we are.
“We cannot feel sorry for ourselves. With the bigger picture, reading the news and what’s going on in Ukraine, it’s literally shocking.
“So, we have to put it in perspective. It hurts, but we need to move on, take it on the chin and get going again.”
Picking up on the chasm between the clubs, with Wrexham consolidating second place in the table, Oldfield said: “The disappointment is faded, affected by the reality of the differences between the clubs.
“I don’t want to mention (Wrexham's) money, I’m not interested. We can do better. We showed that first half, we are capable.
“We haven’t managed so far to put enough clarity of decision-making and physicality into the games to see us through.
“You get hurt by teams with quality strikers and players that are set up in a club that’s going forwards.
“We need to get ourselves back together and make sure that we are driving ourselves forward as well.”
Expressing his personal feelings on taking the drop, Oldfield said: “It’s probably too early to sum it up properly.
“It’s disappointing, frustrating and all the usual stuff you would expect me to say.
“It is softened by the reality of the league. But it isn’t softened by the fact that I do believe we are capable and could’ve done better.
“That’s what needs to drive us through the summer and pre-season. In the meantime we’ve got games against important teams that we need to try our best for.”
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