Ollie Westbury analysis: Paul Hurst’s men pay the price for their costly mistakes

But the U’s, who are defensively strong, came from behind to get their noses in front and clung on to their lead well, defending deep. Town huffed and puffed but never really looked like getting back into it. One of the problems Shrewsbury have had this season – and it seems bizarre to say – but they have not drawn enough games.

In the league, they have managed just three in their 30 games, and even though they have demonstrated they can win matches as they have managed to get 10 victories, not drawing enough has cost them.

Wigan are the only side in the bottom half who have won more games than Shrewsbury – and they are only 13th because of their points deduction.

But games like Saturday are the exact reason Town find themselves in the position they are in.

There was nothing between the sides, and they should have managed at least a point. But in the end, they came away empty-handed.

The three draws they do have are the lowest in the division, and when they cannot win games, they need to ensure they are not losing them.

There is no doubt Town have made improvements since Hurst arrived at the Meadow. There is a distinct difference in style and you can see that Salop are trying to play more football.

They are trying to keep the ball on the floor and work it out wide, where they can get crosses into the box and create chances that way.

For the first half of the game against the U’s, it was a pretty good performance from Shrewsbury as they led through Dan Udoh.

It was a great team goal, created in open play, with Carl Winchester finding Jordan Shipley, and it was his near-post cross which Udoh turned home with ease.

But it was a performance which was littered with mistakes, and it was those mistakes which cost Shrews on this occasion.

They would have been bitterly disappointed to only hold on to their lead for a matter of minutes. Scoring and leading in the 12th minute is a great start that gives you a real foothold in the game.

But to throw that away within a couple of minutes is criminal. A simple ball down the left side caught Town’s defence too high.

Sullay Kaikai, who caused Town issues all afternoon with his pace, got in behind Morgan Feeney and a deep cross to the back post was converted by Lyle Taylor despite Mal Benning’s best efforts to deny him.

Taylor, the former Birmingham and Nottingham Forest man, is a footballer capable of playing at a much higher level than for Cambridge – but Shrews cannot give someone with that quality a sniff as he will punish you.

And it was another mistake which cost them the second goal as Elias Kachunga raced away down the left side. He pulled the ball back to Taylor, and he calmly passed it into the top corner of Town’s net.

From Town’s perspective, it was another poor goal to concede, not only from a defensive point of view, but also due to the fact only 26 seconds of the second half had been possible.

From that point onwards, it looked as if Town ran out of steam. There were moments. Udoh got across his man after a wonderful Town move, but his effort was off target.

But perhaps the best chance fell to Chey Dunkley, it looked like he was about to score from a set-piece for the second week running.

His header ended in a scramble on the line, it looked like someone just needed to smash it home, but it ended with Jack Stevens, the Cambridge keeper, coming away with the ball.

It was just one of those day. Town passed it nicely, and there was a real improvement, but Hurst said speaking after the game that maybe his side needed to just get the ball in the box quicker.

But there is a style change he is trying to implement, and he does want his side to play football. He did add that playing a more attractive style of football cannot come at the expense of getting results.

He is well aware he is in a results business.

So it was a frustrating afternoon which was perhaps summed up by Tom Bloxham’s dismissal in stoppage time.

He received a yellow card for what appeared to be dissent, and then a second for stopping a Cambridge counter-attack after losing the ball. It shows that there is still work for Hurst to do as Salop head coach, and they will have to do that with some very challenging games coming up against Derby, Barnsley and Wigan.