Sam Ricketts left frustrated at Scunthorpe tactics to see out time
Shrewsbury boss Sam Ricketts believes officials should have done more to stamp out Scunthorpe's 'on the line' game management.
The Town chief felt Salop's visitors were toeing the line between legal and illegal in their dark arts of seeing out Saturday's tight League One affair.
Shrewsbury were behind for large parts but sealed a dramatic late equaliser through Adam Hammill's own goal six minutes from time to climb one place to 14th.
But the hosts could get no rhythm or momentum going at Montgomery Waters Meadow, largely thanks to their managerless visitors taking the sting out of the match at every given opportunity.
Scunthorpe, who lost Tony McMahon and Tom Pearce to injury, took an age over every occasion the ball went out of play. Ricketts reckoned their tactics were apparent from the very start of the match and wanted more intervention from officials when delaying of stoppages was apparent.
"It was only us pushing to go and win the game," said the Town boss whose side have 47 points with five games remaining.
"The disappointing thing was I wanted the ball in play as much as I could but it was hardly in play even though we were doing everything we could to speed the game up with throw ins and everything else.
"You have to give Scunthorpe credit I thought they managed the game very, very on the line of what you can do.
"There are certainly some grey areas and you could tell (what they would do) from the very first minute of the game.
"I think until a punishment gets made for that it'll carry on all game and it did carry on all game."
The Meadow crowd grew more exasperated every time Scunthorpe dallied over putting the ball back in play.
Five minutes of play was added at the end of each half. Ricketts said that near full-time the ball had only been in play for 15 minutes of the second period.
The Iron's ploy almost worked as they led from the 22nd minute but Salop were able to claw back an vital equaliser with time running out.
Ricketts added: "It was frustrating, stop-start, as soon as we had any pressure going forward, someone went down injured.
"I think they must have had four or five down injured, whether they were or weren't we'll never know.
"From one side you could say good game management. It's very, very hard for the officials but at some point they've got to put a stamp on the game and say this can't go on anymore.
"In the second half with 10 minutes to go I think the ball had only been in play 15 minutes and we're a ball playing side, especially at home we want to move the ball side to side.
"The longer the ball is in play the more time we've got."
