Shrewsbury boss Steve Cotterill was disappointed with the goals his side conceded in their 2-0 defeat to the Blues on what he admitted was a very difficult day against what he believes is the strongest team the Shrews have faced this season.

George Hirst and Massimo Luongo netted a goal in either half to see Town to their sixth win on the bounce.

“Two poor goals, we are disappointed with the goals we have given away and the manner of them,” he told the Shropshire Star.

“The players always give it their all, but we cannot afford to have a couple of lads missing.

“Today we could have done with Killian [Phillips], we could have done with Tom Bayliss and we could have needed them in our midfielder which would have helped us - certainly as the game went on.

“A few of our lads could have played a bit better than they did and I think Ipswich are probably the strongest team that we have played this season.

“They are really too big a club to be in League One so we knew it was going to be difficult to compete when you come to places like this.

“But all in all the lads give what they can. It is always disappointing to concede a goal, we were disappointed with how we defended both goals.

“They were both preventable, there is nothing new there, and it is not something we have not already spoken about this week.

“But sometimes you come up against a team and there is nothing you can do. We are very very light and we have done it all season, and we have pushed it and pushed and pushed it as far as we can.

“When you come up against sides like this, they can put five subs on and they would probably get into our starting line-up, and it is a fantastic luxury.

“The challenge for Ipswich is not getting up it is when they get up, it is competing with those teams who are up. That will be the challenge. A very difficult day.”

Photo: Matchday Images

Gilesy added 20:55 - Mar 18 I watched his pre match and his post match interviews. He's a prickly man.
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BurleysGloryDays added 20:57 - Mar 18 Agree, we look a different class since the Jan signings have bedded in. A joy to watch us for the first time in so so long. The dark McCarthy years of hoofball becoming a distant memory. Even if a travesty (us not going up next season) occurs, we've been treated to the taste of what being a town fan will be like for the foreseeable future. And it's going to be awesome! Massive credit to owners, club management, players and fans. It's building again and you can feel it.

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Suffolkboy added 21:07 - Mar 18 BGD – a fair reflection on the change in actual football at and from ITFC ; BUT don't overlook funds Mc C generated from sales ,nor forget the hopeless and miserable financial support available .MM actually worked wonders with no money and was an honest man of total integrity ,respected also by many ! Like KM he was no slouch in the football strategy and field of tactics ,but could never afford to consolidate and build ,nor develop a squad and ITFC long term ethic and culture . Thankfully we are now able to focus properly and positively under a regime committed to expanding the enormous potential here . Great stuff ,from M A and KM down ! COYB

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BurleysGloryDays added 21:20 - Mar 18 SB - Mick isn't a bad person, he has a way of doing things - it's just appalling to watch, at whatever level and with whatever resources he has. His reign was the nadir of football style in my lifetime, and attendances speak for themselves. KM gets 26k+ playing great football in league one. MM oversaw the disintegration of our reputation for playing football and our fans spoke with their feet. Still - I'm only referencing the past to contextualise how good this is, and our future is! COYB

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Blue56 added 21:47 - Mar 18 Whilst Mick didn't have the funds, you can't compare McCarthy to McKenna. Mc Kenna is tactically much better than Mick, who I never had a problem with. 27,000 crowd and atmosphere was as good as I have heard all season. Thought Shrewsbury did OK but for most of the game, at this level, few teams could compete with us. Terrible officials, under different circumstances could and should have been 4 or 5.

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PhilR added 22:23 - Mar 18 It seems to me that one of the biggest challenges for a League One side like us, when you have money to invest, is treading the line between building a side to get out of this league, and putting one together which can compete in the Championship. What I really like about KM and the management is that they have brought in players with excellent ball skills and pace, and in many cases with size and strength, all complemented by excellent management and tactical strength - this is what Cotterill sees in saying we are the strongest team they have played. It has a good blend to get us out of this league. He is also right to beg the question, how would we fare against Championship sides, and of course that will be a challenge. But I think this team could actually fare even better in that league, with better quality officials and playing competitively against teams which are not leaving 10 men behind the ball for most the game. It is such a difficult blend to achieve, but I really see a great mix in the current side, especially with the new January signings. Top marks KM and the whole team. An incredible run of clean sheets, a great run of wins. I look forward to seeing it continue.

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Bert added 22:42 - Mar 18 I like Cotterill. Decent and honest. That said, he is talking about Ipswich now not the Ipswich that failed the supporters for most of the last 12 years. We are a big club in league one but only because the club has reinvented itself through new owners, new management and new players. Yes, it required money but it also required ambition and risk which many clubs in this league do not have. Ipswich and it's hinterland is not huge so in relative terms we are punching above our weight not through luck and resources but through design. Too big for league one maybe but humble in our desire and thirst to climb out of it one way or another.

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rogie_dog added 22:51 - Mar 18 I listened to Cotterill's pre match interview on Radio Suffolk as I'm sure many did. I think he's doing a fantastic job at Shrewsbury but he did come across a little contrary even with a home journalist. IF we get out of League 1 this year I'm convinced we will thrive in the Championship. This has the feeling of some of the very best years this club has had and I've been around for over 50 years. COYB

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warfarinman69 added 22:57 - Mar 18 It's a different world with our current management. If we don't make it this year, we will next, In 5 years we will be in clear of relegation in the Premiership. Just give McKenna time.
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Churchman added 05:54 - Mar 19 Despite doing a brilliant job at Shrewsbury, Cotterill came across as very careworn. I know he suffered very badly with Covid and maybe that's the reason?
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warwickblueboy added 08:49 - Mar 19 If Dino MM was still here with the resources McKenna has enjoyed, believe me he would still be pushing a brand of football stuck in a different era. He's been left behind and I find it incredible that anybody still gives him a job! It's in his DNA. People think he didn't have decent players when he was here. It wasn't that, it was the way he tried to play. He played his mate Chambers every game over Webster who goes onto to play in the PL. Says it all!

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Bazza8564 added 08:55 - Mar 19 For those of us who remember way back to the Robson era, it is very clear we are building a sustainable FC capable of getting back to the PL. Big money means the elite sides have it all their own way now and all those European adventures are probably pipe dreams now, but we do have the foundations on and off the field and a will to do it properly, ground up, at every level. Cottrell's interview above is to his local press so it's always going to mention us in passing rather than waxing lyrical, I think he's spot on. But it's not just about the playing staff, it's everything. The foundation the fanzone, the decal around the stadium, the training ground, the catering, communication and forums. And we are doing ou part too. Over 50000. Shirt sakes this season, average attendances at a higher level than in the top league in the 70s and 80s. And Ashton has only been here 21 months…….

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warwickblue added 20:48 - Mar 20 warwickblueboy - I seem to have acquired a son.
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