Shrewsbury Town: Michael Appleton takes responsibility for Cambridge winner

Salop fell to their 25th League One defeat of the season in the boss’s first game at the Croud Meadow since he took over from Gareth Ainsworth. 

The match against the U’s was goalless heading into the final quarter of an hour, but goalkeeper Jamal Blackman gave the ball away from a goal kick, handing possession to Dom Ballard. 

He took a few touches carried it forward before firing it into the corner of the net beyond the Town keeper - and that turned out to be the afternoon's decisive moment.

Salop have tried to play more since Appleton took charge. The head coach says it is imperative if they want to develop as a club and develop players. 

"Look, I take full responsibility for the goal we conceded,” he said. "If we're going to get better as a football club and grow and develop players, and make money on players and play football that people actually want to come and pay good money to watch. 

"Then we have to take those risks at times with the ball. 

"A lot of the time it was good. A lot of the time it paid off, certainly in our defensive part of the pitch. 

"We just struggled a little bit in that creative last third. A few crosses, overhit, under hit, people taking an extra touch of the ball. 

"We had a couple of big chances, Luca’s was the biggest in front of goal, but when you're a little bit down, confidence is a little bit low, a little bit tentative, they're the type of things that can happen."

Town have got 29 points from their 40 League One games, and they are now six points away from their nearest rivals. 

They have not won since they beat Rotherham 2-1 on February 8, and the last goal they scored on home turf was scored by Luca Hoole in the 3-2 defeat against Bolton in the middle of February. 

Appleton acknowledges that it has been an incredibly tough campaign for everyone connected with the football club, but says his players have got to keep being brave. 

He said: "I just said to the players in there, you need to keep being brave and if you keep being brave you'll get your rewards. 

"Sometimes things get worse before they get better, and that is the truth.

"But what I would say is that I thought the reaction to going a goal behind was really good.

"It did worry me a little bit because obviously, we're on the back of a run that probably goes back maybe two months or so, or certainly six weeks or so. So for them to react in a positive manner and try and rescue the game, I thought was positive.

"It's difficult in terms of the timeframe, but I do believe that over a period of time, we will not just get it right, but do it a little bit quicker than what we're doing at the minute, be more efficient with the ball than we are at this moment in time.

"When we do, and we can move teams, I believe that we'll get success from it, I really do.”