Luke Summerfield glad to be back but disappointed with result at Tranmere
Fit again Luke Summerfield returned to the Shrewsbury Town midfield for the first time since New Years Day, but admitted afterwards that defeat at Tranmere Rovers was "soul destroying."
Saturday's late loss at Prenton Park increased Town's relegation fears, with Mike Jackson's team now second bottom, two points from safety with only four games remaining.
One of the big positives though was a return for Summerfield, who has spent most of 2014 on the sidelines with a thigh injury.
He was a surprise inclusion in the starting XI with fellow midfielder Asa Hall missing through suspension.
"It's great to be back on a personal note but I've come back to be on the losing team and it's soul destroying," he said.
"I only knew I was playing on the day of the game. I've trained last week and I felt good. I need to thank all the medical staff, they've worked their backsides off to get me fit. I thoroughly appreciate all the work they've put in to get me back out on the pitch. Their hard work has helped me get through 90 minutes. To last the whole match was beyond my expectations. It was a massive positive on a personal note but as a group and a club, we've come away with nothing."
Town trailed thanks to a first half goal from Rovers midfielder Max Power, but Paul Parry equalised for Shrewsbury with his fifth of the season in the 73rd minute. It was no more than they deserved after a good spell of pressure, but five minutes from time, substitute Junior Brown rifled in the winner to send the visitors to a crushing defeat.
"No way is a nice way to lose but to lose like that is hard to take" admitted Summerfield. "We played well in bits and pieces in the first half, and very well in the second half and got the goal back. It looked like we were the only team going on to win it. The game has gone now though and we're all positive and looking forward to Crewe on Friday."
Summerfield may have netted on his return too with a stunning first half strike - an audacious, quickly taken free kick from the half way line that caught out home 'keeper Owain Fon Williams and sailed narrowly off target.
"As soon as I hit it, I thought it was in," he said. "We were a width of a post away from scoring a spectacular goal but just at the end it skimmed wide."
Attention now turns to Good Friday when Town take on fellow strugglers Crewe Alexandra at the Greenhous Meadow, and Jackson said afterwards he thinks his side will have to win three out of their remaining four games to have a chance of staying up.
"We're all very positive and know we've got enough ability and leadership in the changing room. It's still in our hands if we win all our remaining games," said Summerfield.
"We had nearly 900 fans at Tranmere. It's a shame for them with the way the game ended. We've got great support away from home and need massive support on Friday. We're sorry we couldn't get the points for them."