Gareth Ainsworth defiant despite Shrewsbury form
Boss Gareth Ainsworth insisted that Shrewsbury Town still have a lot to play for and can avoid relegation from League One.
Town’s 3-1 defeat at Peterborough United last Saturday leaves them bottom of the standings, eight points adrift from safety, ahead of facing fellow strugglers Bristol Rovers tomorrow.
John Marquis was sent off after just 13 seconds of play and equalled the record for the fastest-ever red card from the start of a game in English football.
Shrewsbury boss Ainsworth thought the decision was harsh, and remained upbeat and confident that his side can avoid the drop.
“The task was tough with 13 games to go, so with 12 games to go I am glass half full.
“I look at our fixtures coming up and believe there are seven wins in there. I believe there are 12 wins in there.
“I am so proud and I get prouder, crazily with this team. We will go on one hell of a journey.
“The start is always tough, it is always working things out. I have taken over a team that didn’t have a pre-season, we didn’t have time to get structure and a philosophy in.
“I’m hoping that slowly you are seeing that. But, it was a tough one to take and I think a couple of things out of our control have influenced that.
“It won’t get me down, no chance. I am a proud manager of a football league club and which ever league that will be I will be proud and we will fight and scrap to get as high in which ever league we are in.
“I intend that to be League One. I look at the fixtures and think ‘we can still do this’, no problem.
“Let’s see what happens, we had a few problems today that weren’t of our own doing and I feel for the boys because they gave everything.”
Mal Benning levelled for Town after Tayo Edun beat Jamal Blackman to score directly from a corner eight-minutes in.
But, after defiance and resolute defending, pressure from the home side paid off and Malik Mothersille added a second.
Town went in search of an equaliser late-on, and with bodies forward Peterborough were able to counter attack and Chris Conn-Clarke put the game to bed on the break.
The loss saw Peterborough move four points clear of the relegation zone and Town now face Bristol Rovers of a place above the drop zone for another huge relegation clash.
“The lads are positive and won’t be anything other than positive,” Ainsworth added.
“We are a unit and that’s the way that we will be.
“The fans got behind us really well and I am gutted that we didn’t get at least a point out of it.
“I think with 11 men we would have got a bit more.”
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