Micky Mellon frustrated after Shrewsbury Checkatrade exit

Last night's 2-0 defeat at Glanford Park means Town are destined to exit the revamped competition at the group stages, with next month's trip to Middlesbrough is now a dead rubber.

The loss maintained the pressure on Mellon and extended his team's winless run to six games. For the eighth game running, they left themselves an uphill struggle by conceding first, when Olly Lancashire put through his own net after just seven minutes.

Town had their chances and saw two goals ruled out for offside but Jonny Margetts second half strike saw the hosts home.

Mellon said: "It is extremely frustrating, again. All we can do is talk about the game and try to give as honest answers as possible like I always try and do.

"It's very frustrating to see, only seven or eight minutes on the clock for us to go behind. It's incredible really.

"I have to be fair and say we had a hell of a lot of chances and could not quite get that equaliser. We had a couple of offside goals.

"Being a player myself I know it would build on me if I was playing myself because you think when is the fortune going to change go for me?

"Ultimately we have lost a game 2-0."

Antoni Sarcevic was guilty of missing a golden chance to equalise during the first half, while Ivan Toney hit the post.

Mellon added: "We looked like we were going to get back in the game and then we go and shoot ourselves in the foot with some defending which again was poor.

"We work hard in order to try and defend better than that. It was disappointing to see things happen which we don't allow in training.

"It is disappointing. You want to do well in every competition you play in. I think we approached it the right way, putting out the team we thought would get us a result. It wasn't to be. At times we did some good things but at certain moments we did not do things consistently and got punished."