THE 6-0 thrashing against West Ham United was a reality check and shows just how far Wrexham have got to go in their quest to reach the Premier League.
Phil Parkinson's side made a bright start to the Championship clash but after conceding two goals before half-time, were really up against it at The London Stadium.
Never same never, and Wrexham have completed some brilliant comebacks under the Reds boss, but when the Hammers scored a third just two minutes into the second half it was game over.
Wrexham just folded at that point and that is unacceptable as West Ham ran out convincing winners and the Reds suffered a biggest defeat under Parkinson since he took charge in July 2021.
Although the Hammers, relegated from the top-flight last season and installed as title favourites, were excellent and have quality oozing throughout their squad, Wrexham just weren't good enough and it was a woeful display with only one real scoring chance created all game by the visitors.
The Reds are much better than this performance but it shows just how far away they are from being a Premier League side, something the club is striving for under Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac.
It's been a remarkable journey so far with Wrexham securing a record-breaking three successive promotions to climb from the National League to the Championship at a rapid rate.
The Reds came close to making the play-offs last season but they are miles away from West Ham who were a different level.
If they were to go straight back up and add to their squad, you'd imagine Nuno Espírito Santo's side would give it a good go.
But while Wrexham are aiming high, this hammering was a wake-up call and shows there is still a long way to go in a bid to realise the ultimate goal.
The Reds made it too easy for a very good side and just seemed to throw the towel in at 3-0 as West Ham ran riot.
It's not a disgrace losing to the better side team but the manner of defeat was tough to take for the 2,000 fans who made the trip to London.
This was a night to forget as Wrexham suffered a first defeat in the capital since winning promotion back to the Football League.
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The Reds were playing a fourth game in 10 days and it was been a busy spell but the rotation had an impact.
Parkinson made six changes from the side which started the 1-1 draw at home to Burnley in midweek but while you can understand the reasons for freshening up the side and it is a squad game, deciding on his best side can only help Wrexham in the long run.
It was not the way Wrexham wanted to mark a match which attracted the largest attendance in the club's history.
The crowd of 59,172 beat a 56-year-old record set at Anfield, Liverpool, but it was not a game to remember for the Reds against a Hammers side starting to find form.
Wrexham now have a week to work on things before returning to action at home to Southampton on Saturday.
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