Shrewsbury Town boss Steve Cotterill questions Elliott Bennett red card after defeat

Town deservedly led 1-0 through Daniel Udoh's fourth-minute opener but Cotterill's visitors were pegged back on his return to Whaddon Road as referee Ollie Yates pointed at the spot for a Bennett handball on the goalline, for which he then sent off the wing-back.

Conor Thomas levelled from the spot before substitute Kyle Joseph struck a second-half winner.

Cotterill felt the decision to send Shrewsbury down to 10 men and award a penalty, as per the double-jeopardy ruling, was harsh and claimed it 'ruined' the game for his side.

"When you talk about the double-jeopardy bit - is the penalty not enough?" Cotterill said.

"I don't agree with a penalty and him getting sent off for it. Why does that have to be a red card?

"Not just for us today, but for anybody else that gets those decisions. A yellow card and a penalty is surely enough, because it ruined the game for us."

The experienced Bennett will serve just a one-game ban for a deliberate handball and misses Tuesday's Montgomery Waters Meadow clash with Sunderland. The bad news keeps coming for Town, who it was revealed will be without Shaun Whalley due to a thigh injury sustained in training for up to four weeks.

Cotterill admitted defeat at Whaddon Road was 'tough to take' for his side who opened the scoring for the first time in an away game this season amid an excellent start where they proved too strong for their hosts.

Town worked hard after being sent down to 10 men and, while the Robins had more of the play, they were limited to few clear-cut opportunities.

However the hosts, through the excellent Dan Crowley, took advantage of one defensive lapse and Joseph converted a simple rebound with 25 minutes left.

Cotterill, who was offered a fine reception by the home fans on his return to his hometown club, added: "It's a difficult one to take because with 11 men we were excellent, we were so dominant in the game.

"Without the goal I looked at that game and thought there was only going to be one winner today when you look at the opening stages of the game.

"I thought we were excellent. When it goes down to 10 men it makes it really difficult.

"We probably needed to get into half-time and try to regroup a little bit. We only give them one chance in the second half and that's happened to go in off a post, bounced back to somebody.

"And as the lads just said, when we hit a post it'll bounce the other side.

"I just said to them I was proud of them, because to a man they worked their socks off and didn't deserve that. It's very tough to take really."

The manager continued: "I think we've had a bright starts (in games) but we've conceded a goal, whereas it was the other way around today, we started brightly and got the goal we deserved.

"We probably could've had another one as well before the sending off, when you look back in hindsight we probably needed that other goal for 2-0, then with 10 men they have to score three to beat us.

"There's lots of bigger clubs that have come here and not won with 11 men, it's a tough place to come and get a result, I know that, but I thought our lads were first class and running on empty at the end there."