Coventry boss Mark Robins: Shrewsbury kicked us off the pitch

Robins said his players were left with cuts, scratches, scrapes and bruises after suggesting Sam Ricketts' Town used rough tactics on their way to the dramatic victory secured by Shaun Whalley's stoppage time winner.

The Sky Blues chief added that the style was most likely Town assistant Graham Barrow's influence and said that a Shrewsbury player had warned a member of the City ranks ahead of kick-off what sort of contest they would face.

“I think it was a tough game to watch," Robins said. “I don’t want to criticise because first and foremost you look inwardly at our own dressing room and we have to be better.

“But all day there were those fouls. When we were trying to run away from them they were holding us back and sometimes it wasn’t seen or given but that wasn’t why we lost.

“We lost because we weren’t good enough”

He added: “Shrewsbury have got a squad of 28 players who are all experienced players. There are no real youngsters there and they have all played the game.

“They came with that idea to stop us from playing and kick us off the pitch and that was that. And in those circumstances you need to have control of the game and we didn’t do enough and in a nutshell, that’s it.”

Jordan Shipley headed the visitors into a first-half lead before Scott Golbourne equalised after the break. Whalley volleyed a fine yet controversial winner after Robins felt Coventry should have been awarded a free-kick.

Robins said: "You want to see their backs; the cuts and scratches, the scrapes and bruises. Sam McCallum’s face is a mess, but that’s the game.

“It was happening all the time.

“They were clattering them off the ball and hitting them but before the game one of their players told one of our players that that was what they were going to do today.

“Whether that had any impact, I don’t know. I don’t think so because ultimately I think we stood up to that."

Asked if he was surprised former Sky Blues skipper and Shrews’ boss Sam Ricketts’ tactics, Robins said: “No, because that’s the game.

“I think it’s more Graham Barrow and his experience and what he was about, but that’s what you have to deal with.

“You have to try to win any way you possibly can do. We have better quality and play a different brand of football, but they are a good, experienced side and you have to take your hat off to them and say ‘well done’ today.

“But they just caught us at the right time and it was the wrong time for us.”