Sam Ricketts: Shrewsbury Town players fell below their recent levels
Disappointed Shrewsbury boss Sam Ricketts feels his players were below their recent levels having slumped to a 2-1 defeat at relegation rivals Rochdale.
Salop's struggles with set-pieces continued as they shipped from a corner and free-kick either side of half-time.
Town rallied very late on with a Greg Docherty goal in added time and struck the woodwork before the ball was cleared off the line in the last kick of the game but paid the price for being off-colour in both boxes.
Ricketts was frustrated as his side's five-match unbeaten run was ended and Town dropped three places to 20th in League One - now just a point outside the bottom four.
"I'm disappointed. I didn't think we played as well as what we have been," said Ricketts.
"Saying all of that we conceded off two set-pieces which is bitterly disappointing.
"We've given them a foothold in the game. We've come back and scored one and could and should have scored more.
"We had some good opportunities in the first half, I'm just disappointed at losing the game because I think we're good enough to come here and win, that's what we tried to do.
"But we weren't quite at our normal level today.
"Saying that we conceded from a set-pieces and the second one is offside. We come back and - if the second goal is disallowed like it should be - then at the very least we draw.
"We nearly drew in the final seconds, maybe we should've scored, then at least we'd have come away with something.
"We just can't give goals away on set-pieces like we did."
Results at the bottom of League One went against Salop and Town find themselves in the mix of a relegation dogfight that involves most if not all of the bottom half.
Shrews, with the worst away record in the division, are back on the road in four days as they face the long haul to Plymouth on Tuesday night.
Ricketts felt his side deserved to take something from Spotland, a ground where they haven't won in 12 attempts dating back to February 2001.
"I think we do," Ricketts replied when asked if his side's deserved a share of the spoils on the balance of play.
"But I'm not hiding behind it - I don't think we were great but we deserved something from the game.
"If we play at our level from recent weeks we're more than good enough to win the game. But certain levels weren't hit today.
"On another day we could've got something out of it, we didn't, we have to analyse why and go again."
