Dudfield: "I thought first was in"

Dudfield was the first to admit that the players had let the fans down: "We owed a lot to the fans today and we didn't give (ourselves) a chance, plain and simple. We basically didn't turn up until the second half."

Dudfield: Looking to push on

Speaking to Magpie World, Dudfield continued: "In the second half we looked the better team but the be all and end all of it is we have to give ourselves a chance.

"If we played like we did in the second half (all game), this game probably had draw written all over it. The first half is where we lost the game.

"We've just got to push on and get results."

Notts were particularly poor in the first half, but did come out after the break more determined, and the former Leicester City player had two attempts on goal.

"I hit them well and I thought the first was in, and I thought the header was in. The 'keeper has made a couple of good saves."

Dudfield admits he is struggling to understand the reasoning behind the recent run of form, which has seen Notts beat promotion chasing Lincoln City, draw at Playoff rivals Wycombe and then achieve back to back defeats to struggling Rochdale and mid-table Shrewsbury.

"I can't put my finger on it. We know it is two errors today and it's not individual errors we take that as a team. People inadvertently cost us goals, and we aren't going to point the finger at 'Pilks' (Kevin Pilkington, who was at fault for both Shrews' goals), because he has kept us in it before.

"We've got to move on as a team. You know we win together, draw together and lose together."

With the fans clearly frustrated at the fading Playoff chances, Dudfield knows it is up to the players to turn things around: "We are the only ones on the pitch, we are the only ones who can get us out of the situation. We just need to rally around and start pulling in the same direction as before."

The referee issued nine bookings in the game, including to Dudfield who is already going to miss the MK Dons game on Saturday because of suspension after five previous yellow cards.

Ross... Misses Posh date

Jason Lee picked up his fifteenth booking of the campaign which is the highest of any player in the English leagues, meaning he will miss three games starting with Peterborough United away, and Ian Ross picked his fifth up, keeping him out of the trip to London Road.

Of the referees performance Dudfield said: "I don't like to talk about referees but tonight anyone who came would tell you it wasn't a dirty game.

"At the end of the day he is out there to manage the game and you need communication. You can't even talk to him. If he's not going to talk to you then it is frustrating. He made it plain and simple he didn't want to talk to anyone."

Unlike his manager Steve Thompson, Dudfield, signed by Thompson in the summer from Boston United, refused to blame the poor state of the Gay Meadow pitch.

"We can't use that as an excuse."