Paul Hurst acknowledges that the Shrewsbury Town supporters are understandably frustrated following their team’s subpar performance against Wycombe Wanderers.
The Shrews went into the game with the knowledge that a victory would almost ensure their League One safety for the upcoming season.
However, on a miserable afternoon at the Croud Meadow, they never got going, and Matt Bloomfield’s team won 2-0 in Shropshire.
There’s not much to be happy about. Hurst responded to a question on his impressions of the game by saying, “I can see the fan’s frustration and anger, at the end of the game, but during the game.”
“I can’t just stand here and tell them that I disagree. The truth is that it is difficult to adequately describe what we have all seen this afternoon.
“As you begin, I’m almost attempting to extend an olive branch to the players. Is it anxiety or nerves? However, as the game progresses, it becomes a meaningless performance.
“As I have stated, I will not attempt to justify it or tell lies about it from here. I believe that everyone who was present knows what they saw, and it was a performance that fell well short of expectations.”
Both teams played a fairly low-quality match, but in the 68th minute, Tom Flanagan’s reckless tackle on Wycombe’s Joe Low earned him a straight red card, which turned the tide of the match.
Furthermore, the Shrewsbury manager was not pleased with the judgement rendered by the seasoned former Sunderland defender.
“It is a silly challenge, a ridiculous challenge,” he replied. “This is a farewell. The only thing I can say is that when free kicks aren’t awarded, these kinds of circumstances can happen. That still doesn’t defend it in the slightest, and I’m not trying to.
“He is attempting to let the game continue, but we had no benefit at all during the first half because he did not pull up.
“I believe Dan Udoh is attempting to do it for the right reasons when he gets blocked off, but it is more easier said than done.
“He realises he is with the wrong Flanno once we reach that point. As I have stated, it’s an absurd challenge that I am unable to even attempt to defend from here.”
Eight minutes from time, Wycombe seized the lead thanks to a crucial goal from former captain Luke Leahy, adding insult to injury.
Hurst stated that it is difficult to deal with when you are a man down. It originated from a deftly executed free-kick routine, and he bent it in past Marko Marosi.
“That one, which I believe was the crucial one, we don’t seem to be getting the benefit of the doubt with any refereeing decisions,” he remarked.
“By the way, that has nothing to do with how well we performed; they take the free kick, make a mistake, and then try again.
“We are a guy light, but people might notice that Luke is on the edge of the box. He has done a good job of slotting it away, but it makes it more difficult to defend and apply pressure on the ball.”
Salop now face a challenging midweek trip to Bolton on Tuesday, knowing that a victory would essentially secure the necessary number of points.
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