Shrewsbury Town manager Gavin Cowan baffled by Tranmere loss

Shrewsbury Town's persistent inability to convert chances into wins was laid bare again in a 1-0 EFL Trophy defeat at Tranmere Rovers. The loss deepens concerns about their road form and finishing, leaving manager Gavin Cowan openly bewildered.

Dylan Jones scored the only goal for Tranmere from close range in the 69th minute, assisted by David Kamara. It was a familiar story for Shrewsbury, who recorded 12 shots but could not find a way past the home goalkeeper. The result leaves them with just one cup victory away from home this season.

Cowan struggled to reconcile the performance with the outcome. "Loads and loads of positives," he said. "I think it’s a brilliant performance that, again, unfortunately doesn’t culminate in what we deserve." He added, "It’s hard to stand here and understand how you don’t win the game." The manager praised his team for being solid defensively and brave in possession, but the final product was missing.

The defeat compounds a difficult start to the League Two campaign for Shrewsbury, who currently sit 18th in the table with just seven points from seven games. Their recent form shows one win, one draw and three losses in the last five outings, a run that includes a 3-0 loss at Rochdale and a 2-0 defeat at Fleetwood Town.

Attention now turns to halting this slide in the league. Shrewsbury's next fixture is at home against 15th-placed Colchester United on Saturday, 26 September. A positive result is vital to build momentum and climb away from the lower reaches of the table. The full schedule of upcoming games is available on our fixtures page.

This story first appeared at Shropshire Star