Michael Appleton describes 'timid' Shrewsbury as Salop fall to Wigan defeat after relegation confirmed
Michael Appleton believes his Shrewsbury Town side were too 'timid' in their first half display against Wigan - before following it up with an improved second half performance.
Salop's relegation was confirmed before a ball was kicked at Croud Meadow on Good Friday - with the club heading back to League Two after ten years in the third tier.
A dour first half was followed by a better display from Appleton's side - but a big second half mistake led to Dale Taylor bagging the only goal of the game for the Latics.
The Salop boss, who this week explained he had undergone positive talks with the club around potentially remaining in charge for next season, said his side were 'tepid' and 'timid', in the first half, and the difference to the second half was 'chalk and cheese'.
He said: "Obviously with the result before the game with the Burton game it was pretty much done.
"I am not going to stand here and say it had an affect on the group, it is not something I think they were aware of, the focus was on trying to get three points against Wigan.
"I didn't relay it to them and it would just be one big excuse, in terms of how we started the game you could argue they did know.
"How the first half panned out we were a bit timid, we lacked a bit of aggression in our play, they were on the front foot.
"In the second half we changed shape and went to a four with a few more higher up the pitch, and we were better with our play, we were more aggressive, asked more questions of them.
"And then we went and shot ourselves in the foot with a poor goal.
"From my point of view it was chalk and cheese between the first and second half, we were much more competitive, looked more like doing something.
"In the first half we were a bit tepid in our approach, which frustrates and annoys me."
Elsewhere, Salop lost Jordan Shipley and Dominic Gape in the second half of the game - with Appleton hoping to have at least one of them for Salop's clash with Northampton on Monday.
Appleton added: "Shipley is ankle, Gapey was a facial injury so he will be available for Monday. Shipps an ankle so it will take more time to settle down."
