JAMES JONES wants to repay Wrexham fans for their “unbelievable” support with a cup final victory before resuming the promotion challenge.

The Reds are spending a 14th campaign in non-league and took the title race down to the last day.

Needing a win at Dagenham and Redbridge and Stockport to lose at home to Halifax to clinch automatic promotion, Wrexham’s 3-0 defeat proved irrelevant as the Hatters won 2-0 to finish as champions.

Despite the loss, nearly 1,500 travelling supporters cheered, sang and applauded the players off following the final whistle at Victoria Road and Jones, who admits he had goosebumps, hopes to reward fans for their brilliant backing all season with victory over Bromley in Sunday’s FA Trophy final at Wembley.

“The fans have been unbelievable all season and that was testament to them,” said Jones, who arrived at The Racecourse from League One outfit Lincoln City in August.

“I have not really experienced anything quite like that before, to get that kind of reception off the back of a loss.

“It was goosebump moments, it was really special for them to show that support to us.

“I think they know what could be, so it is up to us now to repay them and they are going to play a massive part in the next few games.

“Hopefully we can give them something to cheer about on Sunday.”

More than 20,000 supporters will be in the capital to cheer on Parkinson’s men and Jones says the Red army have got a huge part to play.

“They have been unbelievable and I expect Sunday to be no different. They will make a massive difference for us on the pitch,” said Jones. “You feel the energy and the passion that the supporters have, and they will play a massive part.”

After facing Bromley, and hopefully lifting the Trophy for the second time in the club’s history, Wrexham continue the quest for a return to the Football League with a home play-off semi-final against Notts County or Grimsby Town next Saturday.

Jones is pleased Wrexham, who avoided an eliminator tie after finishing runners-up to Stockport, are in action this weekend and won’t go a fortnight without playing.

“We have just got to focus on each game as it comes,” added Jones. “It has worked out alright because the Trophy final is not interfering with the play-offs at all.

“If we didn’t have this game, it would be two weeks without a game so it has probably come at a good time.

“Hopefully we can get that winning momentum back going into the play-off semi-final the week after.”