Shrewsbury Town manager Paul Simpson today set about picking up the pieces of the damaging defeat to Grimsby, insisting: “We can’t dwell on it.”

Town were beaten 3-0 at Blundell Park on Saturday, giving the Mariners their first League victory since September 19 after a 25-match winless streak.

It means Shrewsbury – who dropped one place to seventh – have now lost away games to the League’s bottom two clubs, Darlington and Grimsby.

But Simpson is confident his side can bounce back to sustain their promotion challenge.

“It was a very, very disappointing day but we can’t dwell on it now,” said Simpson, who gathered the entire travelling party in a huddle at the full-time time whistle.

“We have to make sure we remember what has made us into a decent side and what better way to get back on the horse than next weekend with the League leaders (Rochdale) coming to us.

“This group of players – and the couple left back at home because they couldn’t be involved (suspended duo Dean Holden and Shane Cansdell-Sherriff) – have got us into this position.

“And I’m still adamant this is a strong enough group of players to get us where we want to go.”

Simpson was left disappointed by missed chances in the opening period and his team’s defending after the break as Grimsby scored three times in 19 minutes either side of the interval.

“I don’t think it’s the worst performance we have had if we are going to be honest, but the goals were very disappointing,” he added.

“We had chances in the first half we should have been more ruthless with.

“First half we didn’t defend badly but second half we didn’t defend crosses particularly well and there a lot of things that weren’t quite right.

“We kept plugging away and tried to do the right things but you have to do the right things at 0-0.”

By JAMES GARRISON