Dave Edwards: Time to give Shrewsbury Town fans something to cheer

Town are without a victory in nine league games and supporters showed their frustration towards boss Sam Ricketts after Tuesday night's disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Accrington Stanley.

Hometown favourite Edwards, who captained Shrewsbury, insists it is time the side took responsibility and stood up to be counted on the pitch after the disappointing run has saw Ricketts' men slip from the fringes of a top six run to 17th and closer to the League One bottom three than a play-off berth.

Edwards, 34, said: "I'd love to come and speak when we win a game because words are hollow at times like this.

"We as players need to take responsibility out there on the pitch, we have to make things happen.

"We knew it would be tough with the weather and amount of games but said we can't have any excuses. We've got to perform, go out and take initiative.

"I just felt as a team we didn't make great decisions on the ball, at times too safe, myself included, we took the easy pass when at times we need the more difficult pass to hurt teams.

"That's down to us on the pitch. We're disappointed. We've got a good group of players that need to react, I've been in this position too many times for my liking throughout my career.

"The only way you get out of runs like this is by doing the right things away from the pitch, in training, at home, and hopefully it'll come together. We just need a result.

"It doesn't matter how we get it, we don't need a scintillating performance, we just need a result to get our confidence back because up until the start of January the season looked promising but unfortunately we've had a really poor six weeks and it's cost us our league position.

"We need to be looking up the table rather than behind us. You look back at that Cup run in 2002/03 where the season went away awfully. We can't let that happen.

"We've got to be brave as players to stand up and be counted. Words are hollow, it's all about action. It's easy for me to come out and say but the only way we can do it is on the pitch."

Angry supporters directed jeers and chants at Ricketts as Town failed to pierce Stanley's backline despite 21 attempts at goal as Salop old boys Bobby Grant and Jordan Clark netted in either half at Montgomery Waters Meadow.

Edwards added: "They had very much the right to do so (be frustrated). No fan, included myself, wants to see us not win in nine. It's a really poor run.

"When we were attacking I thought the fans were very good, they were still trying to get behind us. Obviously it's not nice to see at the end with certain chants and things going on but I've been in football long enough to know that happens.

"You just want them to stick with us as much as they can but we're the ones that need to give them something to shout about because we haven't done that in recent weeks.

"We need to give them something to make them proud because even the other night they've been brilliant. They've been with us all season even in games we've been poor, it's about time we gave them some wins and goals to celebrate. Hopefully they can finish the season on a high."