Shropshire Star

Shrewsbury coach Simon Evitts staying positive

Shrewsbury rugby coach Simon Evitts is confident his side can get away from the drop zone – and is focusing on two big matches in the coming weeks.

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Promoted last season, the Sundorne Castle side are bottom of the Midlands Two West North table with one win in seven games, but Evitts believes they are starting to turn the corner after a slow start.

And although beaten 32-3 last time out at home to Walsall, Evitts was upbeat about his side's chances of getting out of danger by Christmas.

"The scoreline was not a fair reflection of the performance," said Evitts. "But out on the pitch I can see where we are going wrong and where to make the changes.

"It's desperately disappointing to not get the wins – but we're just getting going.

"Saturday gone we shipped the first 24 points within 18 minutes – so it was always a big hill.

"We got it back to 24-3 at the break and put them under pressure. We made a slow start and once we found our feet it was too late."

They face a Burntwood side on Saturday who have just one win more than Shrewsbury and Evitts said they will target that game – and the trip to second bottom Crewe & Nantwich early next month.

"Burntwood is one we've got to go for - they've only got two wins," added Evitts.

"We have to target those two games as we have a couple of tricky ones against Camp Hill and Leek who are going well."

Shrewsbury were promoted last season with a perfect record and Evitts stressed: "We haven't become a bad team overnight.

"Stafford struggled last season before they went on a run, are now doing well to prove what you can do in this league and we narrowly lost to them at our place."

But they are missing two key players for Saturday's trip to Burntwood with skipper John Bucknell (head injury) and vice skipper Johnny Hampson (unavailable) with the skipper having to miss two weeks.