Dave Edwards: A missed opportunity for Shrewsbury in narrow defeat

Unfortunately, they're up against a free-scoring Chesterfield team who scored the second most goals in the league, only behind MK Dons. 

They're in the play-off positions, Paul Cook is a very experienced manager at this level and they've got some good players with more resources than Shrewsbury.

But if you look at the game as a whole and the momentum of the game, you wouldn't think that was the case. I thought Shrewsbury were the better team by far.

Chesterfield didn't play to their usual level, but Shrewsbury just couldn't take their chances.

In that first half in particular, I thought Town were impressive. They showed lots of energy, lots of pace in the team with Ismeal Kabia down that right-hand side. I love the way he links up with Luca Hoole. They have a very good relationship and create lots of chances. They just played with real intensity, high energy. 

We got ourselves on the front foot early and had a big chance with Sam Clucas, who should do better with the quality of his left foot. He had another chance not too long after and should do better again.

John Marquis had a good chance in the first half as well and Town couldn't take advantage of those big moments.

That continued into the second half with Tommy McDermott, who came into the team for Anthony Scully. He didn't have his best game but he finds himself in really good positions and he had one really big chance where he had to do better. He missed the target, dragged it a little bit wide. 

These all came before the opening goal on the hour mark where Lee Bonis, who's got a lot of goals this season, showed the one moment of quality which Town were lacking.

He was able to turn a little bit too easy and hit a cracking shot into the bottom corner. Will Brook hardly had a save to make in the game but ended up picking the ball out of his net after an excellent finish.

If Town's defence had applied a bit more pressure, they could have avoided that goal and that will be really disappointing for Michael Appleton. 

This is a team now which is very good at home, picks up results, but it looks a lot more confident in the way they're playing. They look like they can score more goals.

This wasn't the case at the start of the season. If that was the first game of the season, I think there'd be no worries about Shrewsbury being in and around those bottom teams and being in the relegation picture, because I feel the team's evolved really well so far after that really difficult start to the campaign. 

They look like they've gelled together a lot more. There's a lot more synergy. 

You've just got to win these games when you're on top, when you're creating chances, when you're at home. You've got to win these games and really create that gap between you and the bottom two because we've got some tough away games coming up.

Away at Cheltenham is next up on Boxing Day, who are on a good run themselves. They're four unbeaten, they've won three and drawn one of those last four.

Steve Cotterill will be desperate to get one over on Shrewsbury and he's done a good job there.

Then we go away to Grimsby, a long trip, in another tough game.

But both are winnable games against teams that are 18th and 15th in League Two.

Shrewsbury can be competitive, especially off the back of their last away game at Walsall, where they were so much better. Hopefully, they can take the positives from this game and take them into those away games. 

I'm not sure the extent of Scully's injury, but him missing was key because in a game where we had opportunities and moments, I feel like he's the one who probably has the quality to go and put the ball in the back of the net, to make that killer pass or create a little bit more.

He was a huge miss. Hopefully, he's back sooner rather than later. I can understand why Appleton will be frustrated because the performances are getting better, but that was a game, when you look at the chances and the stats, that Town should have won.

They now need to take confidence from that into the two away games.