WREXHAM, Wales -- Wrexham manager Phil Parkinson said his players were disappointed at missing out on the Championship playoffs but says the club are planning to bolster the squad with fresh quality in the summer to target another Premier League promotion push next season.
Wrexham drew 2-2 with Middlesbrough on the final day of the Championship season at the Racecourse Ground, and with Hull City's result elsewhere, it saw Wrexham finish seventh in the standings, missing out on the playoffs by two points.
That result brings an end to their incredible run of three promotions on the bounce.
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Parkinson said the team were "determined" to get into the top six but added though there was disappointment, "to finish seventh is a real achievement at this level."
"We've brought in so many new players to the club, slowly but surely we got to know each other," the Wrexham boss said.
"We formulated a really good dressing room. We were so close to achieving [a top six finish]."
Parkinson said he believes the squad will be even stronger next year with a full preseason together as a group. He also wants some additional quality brought in to bolster their push for a promotion bid.
"First of all with this group together, we'll be stronger as a unit for that. We know where we want to strengthen and we'll make this squad as strong as possible for next year," he said.
"There's so much to be positive -- things are only just starting. We've moved forward as a team, there's so much work going on to make this club even stronger for years to come."
But for the players, Wrexham captain Dominic Hyam said their emotions were "raw" after missing out on the playoffs.
"We wanted to take it to the last day and we did that. But the immediate reaction is disappointment. But with a bit of realism, we've had a really strong season in the Championship, and we're proud of the efforts involved in the club," Hyam said.
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"We're an ambitious group, signed some top-quality payers in the summer and January but I'm sure in 24 hours, we'll feel proud of ourselves. The growth's been massive every year but it's tough to really speak about it right now as the main feeling is disappointment."
Hyam added: "The standard's been set now -- we've got top quality players, the manager's been really good with us -- the standard's set and we'll want to go one better next season.
"The motivation has always been there -- so with a bit of luck and hard work and sticking together, we can do something next season I'm sure the club will go again and bring in quality players, but I'm proud of the lads. We've set a good standard.
"It's not a failure today, but the overriding feeling is disappointment. We need to take confidence from today. We're a good team and the club's on the up."
Middlesbrough will play Southampton in the playoffs. At the start of the day, they had a small chance of securing automatic promotion to the Premier League, but other results didn't go their way.
"We had a lot of good opportunities and were disappointed not to win the match," Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg said.
"We knew there was a very little chance to get in [to the automatic promotion spots], so we were going in and believing it, so when that's not possible, everyone knew it was likely we'd be in the playoffs -- [the changing room is] not too disappointed even if we wanted to win the game. So mixed emotions."
