The debrief: Michael Appleton scathing of rock-bottom Shrewsbury Town, but veteran reaches a landmark
Shrewsbury Town posted their 28th League One defeat of the season on Easter Monday - a 4-1 reverse at Northampton Town.
Here are the talking points from another miserable afternoon for Salop.
Rock bottom
Monday's defeat merely confirmed what has been known for some time - Shrewsbury Town are comfortably the worst side in the third tier this season.
Not only are those 28 defeats the most in League One, but they have the fewest wins (seven) and have scored the fewest goals (38) from their 44 matches so far.
Though they have bettered last season's total of 35 goals, Town have never come close to losing as many league matches in one season as this campaign.
Their next worst is the 25 games lost in 1973/74, when Town were also relegated from the third tier - though in 22nd position having won 10 matches.
The summer cannot come quickly enough for everyone of a Salop persuasion.
Scathing Appleton
Interim Town boss Michael Appleton is not one to mince his words - and that was certainly the case after a heavy loss to a Northampton side only just confirming their League One status for next season.
“If I am here, I can’t tell you how different things are going to be," he said post-match. "There is a softness to us, the group, an acceptance. It makes my skin crawl.
"If I am here things will be very different and there will be a lot of nervous players in that dressing room if I am here.”
You will find few arguments to his sentiments from a fan base that has been put through the mill this season.
Whether it is Appleton or another man in charge, it is clear a summer clearout and rebuild is required if the man who has been here for less than a month already feels that strongly.
Double figures
Despite adding just one to their meagre goals scored column, it was somewhat of a milestone for veteran forward John Marquis.
That took him to nine league goals for the season - almost a quarter of Town's total - but also 10 in all competitions.
And that means at least one player has hit double figures in all but two of the last 10 campaigns.
Dan Udoh managed the feat in 2021/22 and 2023/24, with Luke Leahy achieving it in 2022/23.
No Shrewsbury player reached that milestone in 2020/21, with Shaun Whalley coming up just short on nine - while Jason Cummings got to seven in the Covid-shortened 2019/20 campaign.
Before that, Fejiri Okenabirhie, Oliver Norburn and Greg Docherty all reached double figures in 2018/19, and Stefan Payne, Carlton Morris, Jon Nolan and Whalley managed it in the memorable double Wembley campaign of 2017/18.
Louis Dodds (2016/17) and Sullay Kaikai (2015/16) complete the double-figure scorers of the League One era.
One for the future
From a nod to Town's recent past to what fans hope will be their near future.
Sixteen-year-old Isaac England made his debut off the Shrewsbury Town bench in the closing stages, joining 18-year-old Jack Loughran on the field - Loughran was making his fourth appearance.
And Town academy manager Charlie Musselwhite told the club's website this week: "Isaac's first involvement with us was back when he started going through the pre-academy at the age of five.
"He then got officially signed when he was eight and it was a nice moment because he was in my first ever age group at the club.
"He's progressed really well through our phases and we're very proud of Isaac."
