Shrewsbury Town boss Graham Turner has blasted rules limiting him to using three substitutes at the Joma South West Challenge Cup.

Turner had believed he would be able to use up to five replacements in matches during the pre-season tournament in Devon this week.

But he found out just an hour before Monday’s clash with Ilfracombe, which Town won 5-1, that he would be restricted to three.

The Town chief hopes common sense prevails before the second group game against Rushden & Diamonds tomorrow night, though he is not optimistic.

And he insisted that he would not have entered the League Two club in the event if the rules had been made clear sooner.

“It may sound trivial but it causes problems,” said Turner.

“We have Dean Holden and Tom Bradshaw who have just recovered from injuries and ideally they should have 20 minutes at most tomorrow.

Mockery

“But with only being able to use three substitutes, they are going to have to be two who miss out.

“I wouldn’t have brought us down here had I known the circumstances, and I think most of the other clubs feel the same,” he added.

“I’m told that it is the FA that are insisting on this, but it makes a mockery of our pre-season preparations.”

Meanwhile, Turner revealed that his efforts to add to his squad are continuing while the side are away in Devon.

The Shrewsbury boss still hopes to add one or two more faces before the start of the season on August 7.

“The beauty of mobile phones is that we are able to work at it all the time, even while we are down here,” he added.

By CHRIS HUDSON