Steve Cotterill: Shrewsbury have their fight back

Two first-half goals by Nicky Cadden and Devante Cole were enough to see the hosts lead at the break but Shrewsbury had been competitive throughout the first 45 minutes.

It was similar in the second half with Town looking to find a way back into the game, and they did in stoppage time when Killian Phillips headed in Jordan Shipley's cross, but they could not find a last-gasp equaliser.

"I thought they fought today, I thought they had the fight back in them," the Town boss said about his side's performance in South Yorkshire.

"I think that had been perhaps missing in a couple of games.

"They had a good fight and good spirit in them today, and could easily at the end there have gotten a result.

"We could have got a draw out of that game, we did not probably move the ball quick enough when they went down to 10 men.

"We knew it was going to be a tough game here they are riding high in the table, in the first half the game for me was 50/50 with 40 minutes on the clock.

"We then make a mistake which is a really tough one to take, we said we need to follow things in when there are any shots at both ends of the pitch and we were not quick enough on our reaction to the second goal.

"So we go in at half-time 2-0 down but for me, there was nothing in the game, that was a disappointing part of it."

Town have been on the rough end of refereeing decisions this season and they should have been given a spot-kick in the second half when Phillips was clattered in the area.

"Clear penalty," Cotterill said when he was asked about the incident.

"Killian Phillips heads it and the lad goes into him.

"If that is a penalty at Peterborough then that is two penalties in one. The difference is huge.

"We have ended up with a penalty given against on Friday that is never a penalty and that one is absolutely nailed on.

"But as I have said before we have not really had the rub of the green with referees this season.

"I thought today I got my team back a little bit. A bit of fight and a bit of spirit in it, I had wondered if we had lost that a little bit.

"But today proved that the boys are ready for these final games no matter how tough they are.

"They are ready for them and they are going to see it all the way through."

Both sides were reduced to 10 men in the game, Cadden went from hero to villain for the home side getting a straight red for a challenge on Phillips with 15 minutes to go.

And Ryan Bowman was sent off in stoppage time for a second yellow card, and the Town boss said he had not seen the incident yet so he could not comment on it.