Martin Wild speaks to Chris Humphrey after the home defeat by Hereford

Winger Chris Humphrey summed up the frustration sweeping SY2 at the moment as the team surrendered the local bragging rights to visitors Hereford United, by conceding a second goal midway through the second half.

"It's so disappointing," said the youngster. "I thought we played really well today especially in the first half. Our performance today was better today than in a lot of games we've played. I don't know what it is; we are playing well but keep losing. It's really hard to accept."

Asked if he was disappointed not to have received a place in the starting XI this afternoon, Humphrey shrugged off his own personal feelings and said that if it was for the good of the team as a whole, then he was happy to accept the managers decision.

"The gaffer picks a team that he thinks is capable of winning the game so I'm fine with that. It's his decision and I had no argument with it whatsoever. If we play like we did today for the rest of the season, it won't be long 'til we start winning games again. It's just a matter of time. It is hard to pick up the pace of a game like that though, coming on from the bench. Although it's hard, you just have to put it to the back of your mind and get on with it."

It's a results business and the stats tonight show Salop's points return of a miserly six from the last 33 on offer. There were enforced changes right across the team today with a debut for James Meredith, Marc Tierney filling in for the suspended Colin Murdock at centre-back and Darren Moss being asked to play in midfield. I wondered whether all the changes had interrupted the teams style of play.

"I don't think so, no," said Humphrey. "If you look at it I think we've played well even with the changes the gaffer's made so you can't blame the changes, it just didn't go our way today. Even the weather conditions you can't say affected things. The wind was all over the place but it was the same for both sides.

"I thought we tried to get the ball down and play, I thought our passing was a lot better so there are some positives to take from the game even though we're all gutted in there."

At the reverse fixture at Edgar Street, the Bulls had pace to burn up top with Benjamin & Robinson a constant threat to the Town back-line. Today, both of those strikers had to settle for a place on the bench but with the frightening speed of West Brom loanee Sherjill MacDonald to call on, Graham Turners men were always a threat on the counter attack.

"It's always difficult to defend pace," said the number 17, a second half substitute for Marc Pugh. "Their lads have come on and they're quick and he's brought them on late as well to try and get the third goal. We're pushing hard for an equaliser so it's left them really dangerous breaking on us. So it was hard when they came on but we've tried our best to save the game and it just wasn't to be.

"Having faced MK Dons in our last game and played like we did second half, and then the way we've played today, I think you could say that the main difference is they can finish their chances. We don't seem able to finish our chances and so maybe that's why we end up losing a game we should have got something from."

The 1,655 Hereford fans who packed out the North Stand at Oteley Road were delirious when Uriah Rennie brought proceedings to a halt and Humphrey felt the pain.

"It's really annoying when the whistle goes and you look up and see all those Hereford fans celebrating like that on your ground. It's hard for the staff and the fans too, when you play so well but don't have anything to show for it at the end. We haven't won, we haven't even drawn so everyone's going to be down, we just have to pick ourselves up and stay positive for next week and try to win that one."

Back in November, Michael Symes struck a stoppage time winner against Barnet as the game headed for a disappointing 0-0 draw. I can't recall too many instances of good fortune since that day for Town. It's about time, the Gods started to smile on this particular part of Shropshire again, so where better place to start it than at Underhill next Saturday?