Steve Cotterill labels referee display 'awful' following Shrewsbury's defeat to Peterborough

Salop fell to a 3-0 loss at Montgomery Waters Meadow at the hands of Darren Ferguson's side on a sunny afternoon in Shropshire.

The first goal was going to be important in the clash, and referee Carl Boyson awarded the visitors a penalty when Mason-Clark went down after little, to no contact from Matthew Pennington in the Town box.

Jonson Clarke-Harris took full advantage from the spot.

Mason-Clark went on to double the lead before Jack Taylor added a third at the end of the match, and Cotterill believes the penalty had a huge impact on the clash.

He said: "I thought the refereeing performance was awful.

"I think he had a big impact on the game today with the penalty.

"It was never a penalty, I did not think it was a penalty at the time, and I have just looked back at it twice in slow motion - it is never a penalty.

"The first goal today was going to be really important for us, especially on the back of last week we would have wanted to get our noses in front.

"They started the brighter team, they only had that effort against the post when Christian Saydee needs to nod a little ball into Ryan Bowman on the halfway line, he doesn't, and they nick it.

"We needed it to get the crowd going, they tried their best to support the players I believe, I think then we need something before half-time, and then we lose Christain Saydee."

Town have not had much luck with officiating all season, over the festive period they saw Matthew Pennington and Luke Leahy receive match-defining red cards, only for the FA to overturn them on appeal.

And the boss was incredibly frustrated by the most recent decision to go against his side.

He said: "What happens is, you know where we get credit for being in the top 10 and what a great season etc.

"The referees come with a preconceived idea of who they think will win games.

"They will deny it and say they won't - rubbish.

"We have no rub of the green off any referee all season.

"It has been a joke, even the fourth official today, he could not stand any further back because he did not want to speak today about the referee.

"And that is really really hard, when you are swimming against the tide anyway it is really really hard, the job is at the moment so we have got to tough it out."