Under-fire boss delivers defiant message to Shrewsbury fans

Salop fell to a sixth loss in their last seven games across all competitions after losing to Steve Evans’ Stevenage in League One on Saturday.

Jamie Reid was the man to get the goal in the 85th minute in a game of football, which saw moments of quality and goalmouth action extremely limited.

The result led to hostile scenes at full-time as boos and chants rang out around the Croud Meadow – but the boss said he is still confident he can get the best out of the players.

“If you don’t feel like that then I might as well go and hand my notice in now,” he said when asked if he could turn this around.

“So I think it is a bit of a pointless question, I understand you have to ask question, but I think it is a pointless question.

“If I did not believe that and I did not think that then I would not be stood here, but that is the same for every coach, that is not any different.

“The moment you start doubting who you are and what you are doing then you are on a hiding to nothing.”

Town’s goal-scoring record is the main point of concern as they have only scored 17 times so far this campaign.

They have played 27 games, and they have failed to register a goal in 15 of those clashes and the pressure is beginning to ramp up.

“The criticism will always come when you do not win games,” he added. “But there also has to be a reality check I suppose around where we are.

“We know that everybody we play and a lot of the teams we come up against probably have not been through what we have been through this season.

“That is not me making up excuses that is just facts.

“We have had arguably some of our best players who have been injured for periods of the season and we have had four loan players who we have not been able to play.

“I am not making up excuses, I am giving you facts. Look was Saturday good enough? No, we should not lose a game of football.

“They have one really good opportunity and they take it. We have two or three half-chances and we don’t take it. We miss kick it, we kick it out for a throw-in. So the players in those big moments need to accept responsibility.”

Things are not about to get any easier for the Town head coach, as they make the trip to Peterborough next week – a side who recently beat Town and have hopes of achieving automatic promotion this season under Darren Ferguson.

Town’s goal-scoring record away from home is even worse with them only scoring three times on the road so far this season.

They then have a huge trip to Northampton the week after where they will need to pick up some points.