Gaffer's thoughts after the defeat in London
Micky Mellon looked at individual errors for Shrewsbury’s 2-1 defeat at The Den:
“It was an incident packed game. I thought we did really well in the first half and in the first fifteen minutes of the second half we needed to tough it out and deal with all the free kicks coming into the area. Unfortunately we got caught on the edge of the box with a volley, we have to do better on the edge of the box and do the job right.”
“Then we lost another one from a set play which I am disappointed about because people have to do their jobs and if you don’t get them right then that’s football. If you are marking somebody then you have to come out on top of course, sometimes you get that in football where people are overpowered but if you don’t win the battles around the eighteen yard box then you are going to concede goals.”
The 44-year-old felt a number of his players put in a good performance despite the result:
“I feel sorry for the players because we played very well in the first half. We had an inexperienced back line and I thought they were excellent and really in control. My only worry was the amount of the free kicks the referee was giving that allowed them to get the ball into our box constantly.”
“We spoke at half time and said they would go more direct and to make sure when the ball goes in the box that we are winning the headers. Unfortunately we didn’t win one and it went to the edge of the box and the boy scored and then we don’t win the next one and we find ourselves 2-1 down and in the end you can’t legislate for it.”
The Scotsman admitted the Ian Black coming off injured in the first half had affected the early momentum his side were buidling:
“It is easy for me to say it is significant now because we have gone on and lost the game. I trust all my players and when they come on I expect them to continue the performance forward. It is just disappointing with the manner of the goals we have conceded and it is difficult to tactically pull it apart, individuals have to do better with their jobs and come out on top.”
Mellon felt goalkeeper Mark Halstead was not to blame for the red card he received in the final minutes of play:
“The goalkeeper can’t do much more. It is a short back pass and he has conceded a penalty but I am not going to hang him out to dry for it.”
The former Fleetwood boss handed a rare start to Mickey Demetriou who Mellon was impressed by:
“He did fine. That is the crazy thing there is so many decent performances and you can’t really involve them in any individual errors that cost us goals. We felt the shape had been successful for us before against the system we were going to face and it worked well for us but like I say disappointed with the individual stuff.”
“There hasn’t been a chance for Mickey because Junior Brown has been playing so well. So when you have one of the players of the season at left back it is going to be difficult to put somebody else in there.”
Jack Hendry made his debut for the club and the manager was pleased with his display:
“He was fine. He did everything I asked him to do and I couldn’t have asked anymore of him.”
Mellon believes the club will decide their own fate in their quest to stay in League One:
“We need to go into the next game and get the boys in on Monday. I am here to help them and work with them and point out the things I believe we need to do better. We will comb over it like we always do but we will come in Monday ready to go again and ready to train again.”
“We need to concentrate on us first and foremost because we have to take care of our own business. We will move onto Monday like we always do. We will prepare again for the next game.”