Gillingham boss Andy Hessenthaler labelled his side’s performance at Shrewsbury as unacceptable.

Just a week after Hessenthaler’s men impressed against Premier League Stoke in the FA Cup, they slipped up when it mattered in League 2.

The Gills lost 2-0 and Hessenthaler admitted it could have been worse.

“We were nowhere near it,” he said. “We are not happy and I certainly am not. I am disappointed for the fans because we didn’t turn up.

“The body language didn’t look right, even in the warm-up where Nicky Southall (first team coach) said it didn’t look like we were at the races, and that showed in the performance.

“The whole team didn’t turn up and it’s not acceptable.”

The Gills barely tested the home keeper and finished the afternoon sitting seventh in League 2 – well adrift of the automatic promotion places which the club are targeting.

“I am the first to praise them but I will also be harsh on them if I need to be,” said a disappointed Hessenthaler. “They weren’t good enough and Shrewsbury wanted it more than us. That hurts and I have told them it should hurt them as well.

“If we want to achieve something this year we are kidding ourselves if we keep turning up and playing games like that.”

The Gills fell behind after half an hour and Hessenthaler added: "We told them that set-plays are important to defend against and the first goal came from a set-play. The ball was knocked down, there was a poor header away and it fell to their lad who volleyed it home. If you are not going to pick people up then you are going to get punished.”

The Gills had almost taken the lead themselves, with a rare chance, but Garry Richards headed wide.

“It was a free header on the back post and if that goes in then it might have settled us down and given us a bit of a lift,” said the Gills boss. “We needed something because we were nowhere near it. We huffed and puffed again in the second half and had to make some changes because we were chasing the game.

“But if it wasn’t for Ross Flitney (Gills keeper) and some better finishing from Shrewsbury it could have been more.”

Hessenthaler confirmed afterwards that new signing Jo Kuffour missed out due to his lack of fitness, after a bout of bronchitis.

Do you agree with Gills boss Andy Hessenthaler? Where did they go wrong at Shrewsbury? Have your say in our comments section below.

Gills boss Andy Hessenthaler and assistant Nicky Southall watch on against Shrewsbury on Saturday Picture: Barry Goodwin