"I cannot stomach" - Michael Appleton on Shrewsbury's defeat at Cheltenham
Michael Appleton says he "cannot stomach" the first half performance during Shrewsbury Town's 3-1 defeat against Cheltenham Town at the EV Charger Points Stadium on Boxing Day.
Hakeeb Adelakun ghosted in unmarked at the back post to open the scoring in the 14th-minute and turned provider for Jake Bickerstaff after the half-hour mark.
Isaac Hutchinson added a third from the spot at the start of the second half, after Will Boyle upended Arkell Jude-Boyd inside the box.
John Marquis scored a consolation just past the hour, but the damage was ultimately done prior to that.
"It's difficult to look beyond the first half. I've managed quite a lot of games and a lot of games, but the first half was as bad as it gets for me," Appleton conceded.
"I can take players kicking the ball out of play, having a poor touch, misplacing a cross or scuffing a shot. All of the technical sides of it, but I can't stomach a lack of intensity, application or energy.
"All of those things that you don't really have to pay for. They should come naturally and be part of your makeup.
"We had that missing in the first half and it was quite difficult to accept actually."
Shrewsbury did prevent Cheltenham from adding to their lead and offered a brief reprieve when Marquis scored only his third goal of the season.
But Appleton said it was too little, too late, and that they cannot affording to be starting games in the manner they did at Cheltenham.
"We had a big response in the second half but that should be the bare minimum," he continued.
"Clearly the penalty knocked the window out of our sails because we started very well in that second half.
"Again, we've been a little bit more physical and got closer to them. We made contact with them and had a few opportunities.
"But we need that at the start of the game, we need that in the first half, so that they know they've been in a game."
Appleton was visibly angered by the nature of the performance, but will have no time to dwell on the defeat, with a long trip to Grimsby Town ahead on Monday.
He did acknowledge that performances such as these teach him a lot about his players and has encouraged them to right the wrongs at Blundell Park.
"Yes I think you are [learning about your players in defeats like these]. I suppose there is only one positive to take from it, which is that we have another game in three days' time," he added.
"There's an opportunity to show a little bit more fight and vigour, and an opportunity to put right what they didn't do today."
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