Shrewsbury boss Sam Ricketts: We had been overachieving this season

Town were 11th, two points off the play-offs with a game in hand on their rivals, after their last win in League One – a 2-1 victory at Blackpool on December 21.

But Saturday’s home 1-1 draw against MK Dons at Montgomery Waters Meadow saw Shrewsbury’s search for a league win stretch on as they sit in 16th, 13 points from the top six and 13 points from the bottom three.

Ricketts, who says Town are feeling the effects of a busy period owing to FA Cup replays, reckons his side were punching above their weight while on the fringes of the play-offs.

Ricketts said: “We want to do as well as we can do, but we have to put in context where we are as a club. We were overachieving and (now) we’re perhaps smack on for where the club should be.

“I’m not saying I’m satisfied, everyone wants to do better, win more games and score more.

“We want to do more, but we can’t be expected to. The players are giving everything. We will always improve. This is a time, through circumstances beyond our control, we have to grind.”

Omar Beckles’ fine strike just after the hour looked to be sending Town on their way to an important three points against a visiting side three places below in the standings.

But a Town error was punished 13 minutes from time as the Dons restored parity before an entertaining finale that could have seen either side win.

Ricketts added: “The club as a whole were really overachieving at that point. We had an amazing FA Cup run, but it takes its toll.

“We’ve had two replays, a re-arranged game against Doncaster, but the performances in the whole have been good.

“Performances are there, it’s just we’ve been trying to get the players to recover physically and mentally as best we can. We haven’t had more than three days to recover, barring Liverpool, since before Christmas.”

Shaun Whalley, Ollie Norburn and Josh Vela all missed the Dons visit through injury and will not be ready to face Accrington Stanley at home tomorrow evening.