Dave Edwards: Some positives but Shrewsbury were a way off their best

They managed to navigate a way through the Carabao Cup game against Notts County, which was a game of two halves.

Shrewsbury were really poor in the first half but excellent in the second.

I was really impressed with Tommi O’Reilly. It was the first time I saw him live and he looks like he’ll be an absolutely fabulous player.

It was a good evening and you’d hope they would back it up against a very difficult Peterborough side.

In this league, Peterborough are always a tough team to play against and they’re always free scoring.

It was always going to be difficult and sometimes you have to ride your luck and be at your absolute best to get anything from it.

Unfortunately, Town were not quite at their best, although there are still lots of positives to take from it.

They were in the game for long periods, took the lead and it was then 2-1 for the majority of the game, but Shrewsbury were still pushing forward and making positive changes off the bench.

You have to see that as a positive, because any result against Peterborough is a bonus.

But also, unfortunately, there are some negatives. They didn’t look after the ball well enough, they didn’t make Peterborough work hard enough to get the ball back.

Shrewsbury had to work extremely hard out of possession and that takes its toll as the game goes on.

The main issue is the nature of the goals and, in particular, the last two.

Town were pushing bodies forward but the final two goals were really poor from a defending point of view.

With the first there were numerous opportunities to clear it and it was a very simple goal.

Then straight from kick-off it was really poor from Toto Nsiala and he’ll be very disappointed with his role in that soft goal.

When Paul Hurst reflects on the game he’ll be pleased with the majority of it but sometimes as a manager you can’t do anything about individual errors, which will leave him really frustrated.

Town were hurt by injuries too. Losing Josh Feeney is tough, as a defender fans were excited about. That was a big blow.

Then, to lose Jordan Rossiter before the game is a big loss. He’s combative in midfield and would have suited this game.

And then losing Morgan Feeney during the game, again, there was a noticeable difference losing his athleticism in defence when Peterborough are so fast in behind.

There was no like-for-like replacement for him, someone who is more mobile, and that really cost them.

Hurst will be cursing his luck a little bit but there is still time in the window to bring in reinforcements.

Hopefully the injuries are not too bad. You don’t need injuries mounting up and you need them available to play the intense style of a Hurst team.

This week is another good opportunity, starting tonight in the EFL Trophy.

Expectations are not high for this competition and it’s a competition where you can experiment with your team a lot more.

I expect some young lads to play, but also some vital minutes for players like the new signing Charles Sagoe Jr to get him used to the way Shrewsbury want to play.

George Lloyd needs some minutes, Joshua Kayode has been building up his minutes and this would be a good opportunity for him, and also Taylor Perry.

Hurst wants to win every game but it is also a chance to give some starters a rest and protect them.

That then takes them on to a really tough fixture at Huddersfield, who will be one of the favourites for the league having won their opening two games.

They’ve got a terrific squad and it will be another game where you’ll need to be at your absolute best to get anything from it.

They may also need a little bit of luck, some strong defending and a moment of magic at the other end.

It’s a daunting game but hopefully they can get their first points on the board, move up the table and build some confidence and momentum.