Sheffield United pile more pressure on Shrewsbury Town - analysis and pictures

That was the brutally honest appraisal of Shrewsbury Town caretaker boss Mike Jackson regarding the scale of the task his side faces to beat the drop after stumbling to a 2-0 defeat at relegation rivals Sheffield United.

Saturday's trip to Bramall Lane had represented a great chance for Town to escape the drop zone at the expense of one of their rivals – as well as to keep the momentum going following the previous weekend's morale-boosting 1-1 draw at home to League One leaders Brentford.

Nigel Clough's Blades went in to the game on a high, having famously dumped Premier League strugglers Fulham out of the FA Cup in extra-time at Craven Cottage four days earlier.

But there was a feeling that, having exerted so much energy in that gruelling game, Town might just be getting them at the right time – especially when Clough named 10 of the 11 who started at Fulham in his Saturday starting XI.

However the hosts showed no signs of a Cup hangover as they produced a quick-fire double salvo inside the first 17 minutes to leave Town's hopes of victory in shreds.

Town in contrast were toothless in attack and despite seeing plenty of the ball against an opponent which quickly became all too happy to sit back and hit them on the counter-attack, they were never able to recover from that early setback.

Given his exciting first half display against Brentford last weekend, many fans may well have been hoping to see Bahrudin Atajic again leading the line alongside fellow striker Tom Eaves.

But a lack of match fitness for the Celtic loanee scuppered that prospect, while injuries to midfielders Luke Summerfield (thigh) and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (hamstring) further limited Jackson's selection options.

Midfielder Aaron Wildig also remained sidelined with a quad injury and the team certainly could have done with both his finishing ability and Summerfield's creative passing game in central midfield on Saturday.

In the end Jackson opted for one change to the starting line-up that drew against Brentford, with Burnley loanee Joseph Mills replacing Atajic in a 4-5-1 formation for his first Town start.

Town started the game well enough, confidently stroking the ball around and denying the hosts much possession in the opening 10 minutes. It looked a shrewd tactic given the depleted energy levels of their opponents, although they could not find the killer pass needed to carve them open.

United unfortunately had no such problem on 11 minutes when they sprung a swift attack down the left flank

Former Town loanee Stephen McGinn fed Stefan Scougall, who outpaced right-back Ryan Woods, and his cut-back was met powerfully by the unmarked Ryan Flynn, who found the far corner of the Shrewsbury net with a thumping low drive. There had been little indication such a threat was coming in the opening 10 minutes, aside from a good John Brayford cross to the far post which Woods had headed clear.

Town looked to regroup quickly and Mills drew a standard save from United goalkeeper Mark Howard – the only effort they managed on target in the entire game – with a deflected effort on the turn following good work from Joe Jacobson and Fraser Fyvie.

But things got worse for Town when Scougall netted his first goal for United with a 25-yard effort which skidded past goalkeeper Chris Weale on the greasy turf.

It had been a decent effort hit with plenty of pace and the bounce did not favour the keeper but he had looked favourite to keep it out and will no doubt have been disappointed to see it find the net.

Even with 73 minutes remaining, Town were now facing a major task to take anything from this crucial six-pointer, although there was a feeling that if Town did get one back the hosts might crumble.

Sadly for Shrewsbury, and their loyal band of almost 700 travelling supporters, the charge never materialised.

Parry caused momentary panic with an excellently flighted free kick after 20 minutes, which Eaves could not quite direct at goal under severe pressure from his marker.

But the hosts were still looking the more threatening, particularly out wide with Jamie Murphy, John Brayford and Flynn causing particular problems

It was one of Town's widemen who engineered the next chance though as Parry created Town's best move of half 12 minutes before the interval.

Eaves released him down the right and his low delivery was allowed to reach the far post were Mills slid in to meet it.

Unfortunately he was only able to hit the side netting from a tight angle but it was proof that Town had the quality to open up their opponents.

But Town's attacking play overall continued to lack tempo and imagination. At the other end Jose Baxter should have made it 3-0 from Flynn's low cut-back but he bundled his shot wide from just inside the box.

The visitors ended the half looking marginally more threatening, with Eaves wriggling into the box but unable to get his shot off.

Parry also showed great control to bring down a cross in the box but none of his team-mates had red his intentions and his pull-back was cleared.

Town had lacked any real cutting edge and while no changes were made at half-time, it took just three minutes of the second half before Jackson re-shuffled his pack.

Left-back Joe Jacobson was replaced by winger Sidney Schmeltz, with Mills dropping into the back four to cover.

Town should have pulled a goal back just six minutes later when Parry sent Jon Taylor, who was playing just off Eaves, one on one with Howard.

But defender Harry Maguire raced back to close down the angle and Taylor blazed his shot into the side netting under pressure. It was a big let-off and Town never came as close again to threatening a goal.

Eaves tried his luck from the edge of the box on 62 minutes and Connor Goldson momentarily had the visiting fans on their feet with a determined run into the box, which led to a corner kick.

But Sheffield were pretty comfortable in all honesty, and they could have increased their lead through Murphy's fierce drive which went just wide soon after the interval.

And only two well-timed clearances from Goldson prevented them extending their lead inside the final 25 minutes.

Former Town loanee Chris Porter, who had replaced Conor Coady late on, had ball in the net three minutes from time but his effort, from Baxter's pass, was judged offside.

It mattered little as the hosts saw out the remaining time to complete a surprisingly comfortable victory – their first in five league games.

It speaks volumes about the potential significance of the game that Clough rated Saturday win as more important than his side's FA Cup triumph in midweek.

And the League One table makes grim reading again for Town fans. With just over a third of the season left, the team is now second from bottom, three points from safety, having played at least a game more than three of their four nearest rivals.