It’s not how you lose but how you respond. The mantra that many successful teams have used as their blueprint over the years will resonate around the Shrewsbury Town camp this week.

It was inevitable that a start to the season which has brought almost relentless positives would suffer a trough.

That arrived at Gillingham on Saturday, but manager Graham Turner knows he will learn another valuable lesson about his squad in their reaction to that first setback.

Shrewsbury could have no complaints about being on the wrong end of the scoreline in Kent.

On a disappointing afternoon in which they conceded two penalties – one of which was saved by Chris Neal – the visitors simply never got into their stride, save for encouraging spells at the end of either half.

After creating chances at will in the opening five games, it took more than an hour for the visitors to register a shot on target at Priestfield.

Credit to that must go to Gillingham who harried and pressured Town whenever they were in possession on a tight, narrow pitch which made it difficult for the visitors to stretch their gritty opponents.

That all came after the previously winless hosts had been given a leg-up with a 12th minute opener from Chris Palmer.

For a Shrewsbury side which had conceded just twice in the first five League games and were on the back of three successive clean sheets, it was a poor goal to concede.

A Rory Delap-style throw from Jack Payne eluded everyone to reach the back post and Palmer drilled home from close range.

Boosted by that early strike, Gillingham remained the more potent for the remainder of the first half without creating clear chances.

Chris Neal had to be alert to tip a Danny Spiller 20-yard effort over the bar while, at the other end, Shrewsbury’s only real first half opportunity came when Shane Cansdell-Sherriff headed a Lionel Ainsworth corner just wide.

But if Town were eyeing a second half recovery mission, it was undermined by two Gillingham penalties in nine minutes.

The decision-making of referee Robert Madeley and his assistants had been questionable for much of the afternoon, but they hit a new low by punishing Mat Sadler for handball on 51 minutes.

The full back’s arm was by his side and he had no opportunity to move out of the direction of the ball when he was struck on the arm by a cross from Barry Fuller at point blank range.

Justice was done when Neal dived away to his right to keep out Bayo Akinfenwa’s spot kick but the reprieve was only temporary.

Nine minutes later Craig Disley was adjudged to have tripped Spiller just inside the box and a second penalty was awarded against a backdrop of fewer complaints from the visitors.

Palmer made no mistake from the spot and the game was up for Shrewsbury.

The visitors enjoyed their best spell of the game during the closing 25 minutes with Mark Wright firing a golden chance straight at former Shrewsbury stopper Lance Cronin and Steve Leslie drilling a 25-yard shot just over the bar.

It was too late to save the day, Shrewsbury’s unbeaten record and top spot in League Two.

A disappointing afternoon but six games into the season, there is still much to be encouraged about.

Match analysis by JAMES GARRISON