3 – 8 4 . ▁Mc Gr ath ▁was ▁s ack ed ▁and ▁replaced ▁by ▁his ▁assistant , ▁John ▁Rud ge , ▁in ▁December , ▁who ▁continued ▁to ▁name ▁Hunter ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁eleven . ▁He ▁played ▁ 5 1 ▁games ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 4 – 8 5 , ▁as ▁Rud ge ▁re built ▁his ▁team . ▁He ▁played ▁ 5 7 ▁games ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 – 8 6 , ▁scoring ▁six ▁goals , ▁as ▁he ▁helped ▁V ale ▁to ▁escape ▁the ▁division ▁for ▁a ▁second ▁time . ▁However ▁Rud ge ▁signed ▁Paul ▁Smith ▁and ▁Ray ▁Walker ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 6 – 8 7 ▁campaign , ▁and ▁Hunter ▁played ▁just ▁five ▁league ▁games . ▁He ▁was ▁given ▁a ▁free ▁transfer ▁to ▁W re x ham ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁along ▁with ▁team mate ▁Wayne ▁Eb anks . ▁ ▁W re x ham ▁D ix ie ▁Mc Ne il ' s ▁W re x ham ▁were ▁looking ▁for ▁promotion ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁Four th ▁Division , ▁though ▁they ▁missed ▁out ▁on ▁the ▁play - offs ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 7 – 8 8 ▁by ▁four ▁points . ▁They ▁managed ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁play - offs ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 8 – 8 9 , ▁and ▁defeated ▁Sc un th or pe ▁United ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁Final ▁against ▁Ley ton ▁Orient . ▁The ▁Wel sh ▁club ▁lost ▁ 2 – 1 ▁over ▁the ▁two - leg ged ▁final . ▁ ▁The