Paul Hurst makes Blackpool admission after defeat
Shrewsbury Town were beaten by the better team says Paul Hurst, after watching his side lose 2-0 to Blackpool.
A goal from Karamoko Dembele at the end of the first half and a late second by Hayden Coulson was enough for the Tangerines to bounce back after a midweek defeat against Leyton Orient.
For Salop, it was a game where clear-cut chances were few and far between, and one that ended in defeat. They now have not won at home since New Year's Day.
Hurst said: "I think if we are being totally honest we were beaten by a better team with very good players in it.
"But my disappointment was, and from what I was watching at least, I did not think there was much in the game really.
"And then we concede a poor goal. It should not have been a re-start when it occurred.
"The referee should have let Tunmise (Sobowale) get back in. There was a bit that happened after it, but I would have preferred him to have let Tunmise get back in, and the fourth official says 'Yeah, you are right.'
"But what happens? Nothing. After that, we huffed and puffed a little bit in that second half. There were a couple of periods but not a lot, and obviously, we then concede a second goal, so it was game over.
"I just feel the goal knocks us. It looks like it takes belief out of some of the players which I am not accepting of.
"I have said that the fans here are great, as in they stay behind the players, I have said it when I was here last time it is kind of a nice place to play for as a home player.
"I am sure there will be the odd comment as you are always going to get, but they don't get on your back, so that should not knock confidence so keep wanting the ball and stay committed.
"That is the other word I have used, and I don't feel we commit to everything involved in the game."
The boss opted to change the system for the game, moving away from his 4-2-3-1 formation to a 3-4-3.
Speaking post-match, Hurst was asked for the reasoning behind the decision and how he felt the change went.
"I think the thinking behind it was Jason (Sraha) has played once when he came on at Reading as in for me," he said. "I just felt with their system as well, and Karamoko Dembele and the areas he picks up. We negated that for quite a bit, but then when he does get on it (Dembele) you see all of a sudden, he has got to be one of the best players in the league.
"So we wanted that security in there. Probably what we did not get was too much going the other way.
"Probably without the ball, we were OK to a point, but it was hard to get pressure on them, but we looked, in general to my eyes at least, secure, for most of the time we were playing.
"We changed it to two up front in the second half - I did not really like that if I am honest and then we went back to what has been more of the go-to formation, but it was not enough."
