Gareth Ainsworth has his say on Shrewsbury's loss at Cambridge

Salop were thrashed 4-1 at Abbey Stadium by their relegation rivals in a huge game at the bottom of the League One table. 

A first-half brace from Shayne Lavery, followed by a close-range finish from Dan Nlundulu and a header from Elias Kachunga saw the home side race into a four-goal lead in horrible weather conditions caused by Storm Darragh.

And Ainsworth bemoaned the ease in which his side was so easily breached by the U's. 

"Defensively, I can see why the team is really struggling, because we were very poor in that department today," he said. "Cambridge have not ripped us apart with football, it has been basic stuff. Three restarts of the game that we have not dealt with. 

"There were two throw-ins they have got in on, which is criminal, and at the end, there is a free-kick, and we are just not alive. 

"It is stuff that I have tried to work, but the boys are not switched on a times, and we have got to be better than that. We must be better than that. 

"We gave ourselves a mountain to climb. We have had to change it up a bit today, but it shouldn't have been that much of a problem. 

"I got a look at a few players, which is good, but I don't want to run out of games checking the players out. We have got to start getting points and winning games. 

"If we come to places like this and concede four in what was not great conditions, but both teams had. We have got to make sure we compete for the first balls, and we compete for the second balls. 

"We played some decent stuff, we tried to play a little bit more today, and the team that won were the team that was very pragmatic, they were good at what they did. 

"They put crosses in the box, and they got the heads on the end of them. We did not do that at the other end, and we defended very poorly in our box." 

Shrewsbury did get a consolation through John Marquis after second-half substitute George Lloyd was fouled in the box. 

But all in all, it was another bleak day for Shrewsbury and the 433 supporters who made the journey to Cambridge in the midst of terrible weather conditions. 

Ainsworth says there is no shortage of effort from his players - it is the quality they are lacking.

"They are trying," he continued. "If they are not good enough for the standard, then that is another issue, but they are trying. 

"It is going to be a tough, tough season, but I still believe, I always did and I have been in some situations which have been a lot worse than this. 

"It is going to take a lot of work, and we are working hard. I am really proud to be the manager of Shrewsbury Town, and I aim to be a good manager. As I said when I took over, there will be some pain at the start. 

"They have given everything, they have run hard for me, they have fought for me. So I cannot complain - the quality just was not good enough, and we must missed chances."