Shrewsbury Town boss: "We'll keep going."

Town's 3-1 loss against their fellow League One strugglers leaves them five points from safety with just three games remaining.

And Jackson admitted his side will probably need to win all three, starting at promotion-chasing Preston North End on Easter Monday, to have any chance of beating the drop.

It is a massive ask of a side that has not managed back-to-back wins all season, and even then they will need the sides in and around them to drop points.

But Jackson said that, while there remains a chance of survival, they will not admit defeat.

He said: "If there's one game left I think you'd just say 'yeah that's it' but we can't do that (now).

"That ain't acceptable and so we will go to Preston and you just never know, something could just spark us, something could just change that makes a difference. We'll keep going definitely."

The Town squad were due back in this morning and Jackson revealed a few home truths would be said.

"We will come in, we prepare them for every game but they need to come in and thrash it out between them," he said.

"There have been a few things said in there about what relegation can do to your career and do to you as a player, some of them don't realise it and I hope the realisation of that comes out.

"It's come from a few lads who were watching the game who have come down and I've opened it to everyone and a few things were said, but we will see.

"We've got to pick the players up, it's not time to tear them to shreds as there are young lads in the group who are coming to terms with it and it's a little bit of a struggle mentally."

Striker Tom Bradshaw, who came off the bench to net a stoppage-time consolation goal yesterday, echoed the sentiments of his boss.

The former youth-team player admitted the team had under-performed badly, buthe added: "If there is any chance of us staying up we need to get nine points from the next three games.

"That is our target and we haven't got an alternative now. This club means a lot to me. I have been here since I was 16. I will do everything in my power, and I am sure the team will, to try to put things right even though it is going to be a very hard task.

"But stranger things in football have happened. We have got to back ourselves to get the points. It is not a matter of if we can, we have to. It's not a choice."

Midfielder Ryan Woods, who came off the bench to play the last 19 minutes plus stoppage time yesterday, added: "Every single one of us wants to stay in this league. No one wants to play in League Two.

"We have all got to stick together now, go to Preston and hopefully get the three points and then (do the same in) the following two games as well.

"When we play our stuff and stick to our game plan we can beat anybody in this league.

"But yesterday we didn't get going and that has got to be changed on Monday."

• 24:7 – All the analysis and reaction from the game at Preston in Tuesday’s Star