Shrewsbury Town boss Micky Mellon says it is time for club to end yo-yo days

Town stayed up on Saturday with a game to spare despite losing 4-3 at home to Peterborough after defeats for Blackpool and Doncaster, whose 3-1 loss at relegated Crewe saw them go down.

Mellon has 17 players out of contract this summer, while six loans are due to leave and two are coming back to the Greenhous Meadow.

The Town boss rebuilt his squad in January with some 16 ins and outs, but he insists their survival means he was proved right.

"It's been the biggest managerial challenge of my career, to make some of the decisions at crucial times, but I'm glad I made them," said Mellon.

"I believe I've been proved right now we've survived, but I absolutely believe I did the right thing to get this club over the line.

"Everyone thought I'd gone bananas at Christmas time, but we'd planned it meticulously and we needed a certain type of player."

Town will start a season in the same division as the previous one for the first time since 2013 and Mellon spoke of the need to remain in League One long term.

"This club needs to establish itself in League One and it hasn't done that in the past," he said.

"It's been a yo-yo club and that has to stop. We have to be aiming much higher, but within our remit because I understand budget (constraints).

"To be a good League One club, you need good League One players so we have to endeavour to bring that to compete with some of the monsters in it."

Town's 13th home League defeat of the season achieved an unwanted club record and Mellon admits they must do better.

"We need to make sure the town, the fans and the chairman get better represented than we did on Saturday," he said.

"We shouldn't have to score five goals to win a home game. It (survival) is not the way we wanted to do it.

"I also want to thank the fans – not once have they ever got on my back and that's been very humbling."

Keeper Jayson Leutwiler missed the game after pulling a muscle in his back in the warm-up, allowing Mark Halstead the chance to deputise.

Meanwhile, Abu Ogogo was a double player of the year for Town at their Greenhous Meadow awards night. The midfielder scooped players' player of the year and overall player of the year.