Josh Laurent gives his thoughts on Town's loss to Bristol Rovers
Josh Laurent reflects on Town’s frustrating loss against Bristol Rovers. Laurent bagged his first brace after scoring Town’s third goal to get them back into the game.
After an eventful game, Laurent summed up his emotions. “It’s just really hurtful. We’re all hurting, we had such a poor start to the game but we had great character and fighting spirit to get back into the game. It would’ve been nice to at least get something or held on to the draw.”
Town worked hard to get back into the game after finding themselves 3-1 down after the first minute of the second half. “Especially when that third goes in it was probably the lowest point in the game for us. We didn’t dwell on it, we dusted ourselves off but it really does hurt.”
Josh showed great fighting spirit after scoring two of Town’s three goals today. “Maybe it will feel better Monday morning but right now it just hurts to not get anything. Even if we got a point it would feel amazing probably the best feeling I’ve had in football but after losing it just hurts right now.”
Town had so much momentum and confidence after Laurent levelling the scoreline and were unlucky to not get the winner or to hold out for the draw. “It would’ve been good to get the point today but at some stages, I thought we were going to go on and win the game. I thought the subs came on and made a great impact as well and I thought we were the better side and just edging it towards the end but it wasn’t meant to be.”
Josh gave his view on Thompson’s penalty appeal in the first half. “I thought it was a penalty. Anywhere around the pitch, there was probably around five or ten other fouls that were the same and the ref gives it but because it’s in the box it’s not a penalty which I don’t know why. But I don’t think the ref and the official were too sure because they were looking at each other as well, no one wanted really commit to giving it but I also though we had another shout in the second half. There was one on Fey, I thought it was a penalty but the ref just waved it off.”
Another two goals today adds onto Josh’s goals scored over the past few weeks. “It’s something the gaffer has always been onto me about, working with me, talking to me about and all the coaching staff have worked hard with me and senior pro’s so it’s something that I’m trying to work on and hopefully getting better at.
It is the first brace and I think that I’m surprised to score a goal really, let alone to score a brace but it is my first brace.”
“It was a really good free-kick, I think we need to start chipping in all over the pitch, you can't just rely on Jason Cummings and Fey and Lenny, we’ve all got to start chipping in and we did that today but it just didn’t work well enough.” Josh talked about Norburn’s free-kick.
Town will have to lift their heads and spirit and put things right next week in The FA Cup. “On Monday morning I think it will be. We’re a team as you’ve seen out there that we have a lot of character and a lot of fight about us and we’re a tight group. Monday morning we’ll go back out there and we’ll be ready for next weeks game and look to go through to the next round of the cup.”
It is a strange part of the season at the minute for Shrewsbury after having three cup games, one league game and then straight back to cup action. “Cup games have always been good to me. We’re looking forward to it but it would’ve been nice to get a win today. It’s a great opportunity and it doesn’t matter in the cup where they are, but it’s a great opportunity that we are at home and we have a good record here. We will probably be favourites but we’ve got to deliver and I’m sure we will.”