A brace from Andy Bishop helped Wrexham reach the third round of the FA Cup at the expense of Isthmian League Premier Division side Maidstone United.
The minnows went two down shortly after having a man sent off at the Racecourse Ground, but Alex Flisher pulled a goal back midway through the second half.
Their admirable effort fell short, though, as Bishop popped up late on to secure a 3-1 victory for the hosts.
Conference Premier outfit Wrexham are 36 places above Maidstone in the English football pyramid and started very brightly as Bishop drilled wide on the half-volley and Lee Worgan thwarted Mark Carrington.
United keeper Worgan made the mistake which led to Wrexham's opening goal as he spilt a 19th-minute corner, allowing defender Manny Smith to poke the ball just over the line via the underside of the crossbar.
The Welsh outfit continued to dominate either side of the break and extended their lead following what was the pivotal moment of the match, as Aaron Simpson brought down Wes York inside the penalty area.
The Stones defender was dismissed for denying York a goalscoring opportunity, and Bishop stepped up to confidently convert the spot kick in what was a fatal 57th-minute double blow for the visitors.
Maidstone showed the spirit that has helped them get to this stage in the competition by reducing the deficit six minutes later, as Flisher tucked home smartly from a low Sonny Miles cross.
However, this goal seemed to only alert Wrexham of a potential cup upset as Smith and York went close to sealing the result, which Bishop did when headed in at the near post three minutes from time.
Joe Fish
