Shrewsbury Town today set about mending their broken promotion hearts - as manager Gary Peters pledged there would be no hangover from their play-off final defeat.
Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at the hands of Bristol Rovers saw Shrewsbury fall at the final hurdle in their against-the-odds battle to reach League One.
But Peters has immediately set his sights on launching a successful campaign and going one better next season.
“I’m absolutely gutted because we were the better team,” he said. “We had nine good chances to their five opportunities, had more of the play and passed the ball well.
“The only problems we had was that we were not clinical enough when we had our opportunities and Bristol Rovers signed Richard Walker.
“We were the better team, we could have won it, we didn’t win it and now we have to get on with it because there is no point going around moping.
“You don’t have to worry about the players having a hangover from this because that won’t happen in any way, shape or form.
Negative
“People automatically think losing in the play-offs and in the final in particular has a negative affect on the next season.
“It won’t happen here because we will come back fresh and lively, ready for everything, and the people who I bring in will be of the same ilk.
“All our young players will learn so much from the whole experience - leaving the Gay Meadow, the MK Dons games and now Wembley. This is a big step forward for the club.
“I had a really productive day yesterday.
“I spoke to the chairman in the morning and he was really positive about the way the club was heading and then I made phone calls to lots of people planning ahead.
“Everything I do in the days and weeks to come will be about getting us ready for next season.
“It will be tough because there will probably about 10 clubs with bigger budgets than us.
“It’s not a level playing field but I’m used to working in the lower leagues.”
Peters admitted he can look back on the season with pride.
“I’m really pleased with the hard work and determination we have shown,” he added.
“We have had problems with the pitch - not only with the postponements but also because when we had games on the pitch, it was awful.”We lost Ben Davies and Luke Jones through injury for the final - people have kept throwing brick bats at us.
“But we have got within one match of getting promoted and been the better team in that game.”
10 Comments
I was one of the shrews fans heading back to the West Country rather than than the Midlands. I was of course surrounded by plenty of Pirates fans on the train and even though it’s not exactly compensation they too said we were the better side on the day. Well done to GP, his staff and the lads, our prospects for next year have to be good.
Well Done The Lads!
Proud Of You!
Louise x
We were the better side and should have won it in the first half, but thats life, now we have to go one better next season, well done Shrews and good luck for next season
Well Mr Peters , you got it right again. The team did everything you wanted them to except win. That was probably the best all round performance for some time…..lady luck unfortunately didnt was not with us on the day. The best team lost on the day. We will pass them going up next season.Well done lads…..next season we will not need the play offs.
Well done lads, whatever you may feel about the result, you certainly must not be negative about it. What you accomplished was simply amazing after having to get through a back-log of matches and show the guts and determination to get into the play-offs, then get to the final, and then on to the Wembley pitch only to have an injury before you even started and the possible alteration to your tactics at the eleventh hour plus. You were mighty and all that toil and experience must be taken forward to your new home at the New Meadow for next season and for you then to turn your current disappointment into the fulfilment of your’s and the supporter’s dreams. Go GP and the Shrews and make your supporters even more proud than they are now.
Never mind - AFC Telford are the pride of Shropshire this season.
We’ll meet again soon in the league.
Matt
No - Shrewsbury Town are the pride of Shropshire as always. A defeat at Wembley was not a failure - we have had a great season - looking forward to the next one! Come on you Blues!! AFC Telford have a long way to go to catch up I am afraid!
Town are the only league club in Shropshire and Telford fans seem to need reminding of this.Many Town fans wish you well but if you keep on with this bitching and envy you can forget the good will.I still hope you do well next season but stop the jealousy……
I felt proud to have been a Salopian on Saturday, what a fantastic day out and performance from the Town, I hope it can only galvanise the same sort of spirit for next season. The ocasion was just what football should be all about, there was no stupid ill feeling between rival fans either before or after the match, I mingled with and spoke to rovers fans on the tube and walkng up to the stadium, most felt fairly relieved afterwards that they had scraped through and many said that Town were a credit to football and wished us well for the future.
I agree that you could have won on the day, but I wouldn’t say that you were the better side. Rovers have a resilience that even when we went 1 down to a soft goal, there was the belief there that we could still do it. Once we worked out Asamoah and got the equaliser there was only going to be 1 winner.
Our defence and keeper were better than yours and our striker took his chances.
As for us going down next season, you must be joking. Play offs at least again and we’ll take 40,000 or more to Wembley again if needed.
All the best for next season.