Paul Simpson has urged Shrewsbury Town to use weekend conquerors Wycombe as the benchmark for success in the second half of the season.

Town slipped 10 points behind Peter Taylor’s League leaders after suffering a 1-0 home defeat at the hands of the Berkshire side on Saturday.

See our Shrews v Wycombe match photo gallery here 

Simpson admitted Wycombe have set the standards for the rest of League Two to aspire towards.

“The thing I have said to the players is that Wycombe have set the levels,” said the Town boss.

“If we want to be competing, that’s the levels we have to get to.

“They showed what a good, strong side they are. Football wise I think we can match them, I don’t think there is a doubt about that.

“In terms of effort and fitness – all of those things are there.

“But we have got to make sure we get up to that level with the way they ground out that result.

“It was a disappointing result but we knew it was going to be a tough game.

“We’ve come up against a team who are top of the League, and rightly so, and a team that has only conceded five goals away from home.

“We had enough possession. I talked about being patient and we were.

“When we got there we didn’t quite put the right ball into the box to test their back four and goalkeeper.”

Simpson is adamant the title race is still open and is now concentrating on lifting his team for the Christmas double header at Rochdale on Friday and against Bury at the Prostar Stadium 48 hours later.

“There are still 25 games to go and a helluva lot of football still to be played,” he added. “We have to make sure we are still involved.

“Every single season there are teams who have had that sort of lead clawed back.

“We have to make sure if somebody does claw it back we are in the mix.”

By James Garrison