Steve Cotterill reflected on today's game at the University of Bolton Stadium.
Town fell to a 1-0 defeat in Horwich, with Josh Sheehan's wonder strike in the 63rd minute proving the difference on Saturday afternoon.
It's been a tough few weeks for Shrewsbury with Matt Pennington, Christian Saydee, Tom Bayliss, Tom Flanagan and Rekeil Pyke joining Dan Udoh and George Nurse in the treatment room.
Matt and Christian did return for the trip to Greater Manchester. But speaking to the assembled media, Steve admitted Town's lack of numbers is making life incredibly tough.
ON THE GAME:
"It’s another tough one to take. We knew what it was going to be like for us today – it's no different to what we have had for the past six weeks.
"The lads have given everything again.
"We had to sit in there. We knew we would have to conserve energy, stay organised, spring them and maybe take our chance when it came.
"I don’t remember them having too many chances apart from late on where Marko has made a couple of saves.
"I thought we kept them at arm's length. And we’ve just ended up not blocking that shot on the edge of the box.
"But when these lads have put in the shift they have put in this week – the bottom line is they haven’t got the energy to get to that shot. That’s the bottom line.
"You could record this (interview) at any time we have a big run of games, you can play the same interview because they are always all-in. They always give their all. But we are short. We are short. That’s the bottom line.
"We are more than down to the bare bones – we are down to the marrow and we have been for about six weeks."
ON WELCOMING BACK MATT PENNINGTON AND CHRISTIAN SAYDEE FROM INJURY:
"Matt Pennington maybe but I’m not convinced Christian Saydee is fit. It was just needs must.
"Rob Street has run himself into the ground this week and we couldn’t get a gallop out of him.
"Saydee came on for a bit but I look at him and he isn’t right.
"But then there are probably quite a few of them who aren’t right.
"Matt played well. But then we know that – there is nothing new there. It's the games where we haven’t had him that have cost us.
"He has got a week to recover now. He put in a really good shift today.
"But it’s not just him. You’ve got Chey Dunkley and Luke Leahy who have played all the game, they have another three to go and they’ll have a full set.
"They have been incredible this season. Incredible.
"It’s difficult at the moment because we are talking about defeats all the time.
"We just haven’t got enough, we haven’t got enough to take these teams on all the time. We just haven’t got enough."
ON MARKO MAROSI'S SAVES:
"I said the other week when he made a mistake, I said that by the end of the season he will win us a game.
"Today, he didn’t win it but he kept us in it.
"And the reason I say that with confidence is that he has done it before. He has won us a game.
"So between now and the end of the season – we have got three games to go, he may win us another one."
