Dave Edwards: Pompey was tough – but Shrewsbury can take positives

Paul Hurst said during the week that with recent performances it might be a game that could prove very difficult for Town, and going 1-0 down after switching off from a throw-in and not reacting quickly enough, makes it much harder.

They will have been disappointed to go behind so early in the game and that’s when you worry that the floodgates might open, but after the game settled down, Town did start to get a foothold in it.

They kept the ball a bit better and scored a really good goal. It was a good move down the left and they got bodies in the box.

It was a massive plus to have Shipley back and available. It was a tidy finish and Town were in a good place as Portsmouth began to get frustrated.

Then comes the controversy. Carl Winchester and Paul Hurst were not happy because it was a terrible decision from the referee.

There were lots of bodies around it and the referee didn’t have the best angle, but still, you can quite clearly see the Portsmouth player waiting for the contact, which doesn’t come, and he still goes to the floor.

Hurst said if it was at the other end it doesn’t get given and I have to agree with him.

It’s a tough assignment for a referee to take charge of a game like that, but you have to be brave and 100 per cent sure it’s a penalty if you give it.

He got it really wrong and it hurt Shrewsbury. The penalty is dispatched and then it’s always going to be difficult.

To be fair to Town, they did get themselves back into it. Dan Udoh had a really good chance at 2-1 after a bad back pass.

Hurst thought he took a too heavy first touch but I thought it wasn’t too bad. He got it out of his feet, which allows him to get away from the defence.

He took it too close to Will Norris in goal and he made a good save. It was a big moment in the game.

If Udoh scored to make it 2-2, the home fans might have started to turn a little bit. They’d have become a little bit anxious and Town could have come into their own.

But he didn’t score and Portsmouth eventually got their third and it was game over.

It was a decent away performance from Shrewsbury, who weren’t at their absolute best, but better than what they have been in recent weeks.

Results below them went their way and they now need to keep the gap as big as possible for as long as possible.

They have a big game coming up at home against Wycombe and they need to get points on the board, because at least one team below them will put a run together.

It’s in their own hands and they need to look after their games.

Everyone is already looking forward to next season, hopefully in League One, where they can start again.

It’s been a long and tough season.

It hasn’t been all doom and gloom because the remit was to stay in the league after all the changes at the club.

It’s a positive to be above that relegation line, but they need to get the job done sooner rather than later.