Dave Edwards: New-look Shrewsbury are still searching for consistency

It was a tough afternoon for Matt Taylor and his men on a long old trip. They did not quite turn up.

Although they did not play particularly well, they will be disappointed that they did not get something out of the game due to two poor goals.

The second one was when they were chasing the game, so you can almost write that off, but the crucial goal was a fortuitous own goal for Carlisle off a set-piece.

Shrewsbury could definitely have defended it better and even though they did not play well, they could easily have come away from Carlisle with at least a point – so that will be a big disappointment.

They did not have enough control of the game, with the quality they have in the team.

Looking at some positives, Chey Dunkley proved his worth once again. He carried on from where he left off last season. He put in a good display.

Dan Udoh also did well and was trying to make things happen – but after those two there were not enough players playing at a seven out of 10 consistency.

Town did get more reinforcements in the last few days of the transfer window to add more competition. The game this weekend against Bolton has been cancelled due to international call-ups, so I’m sure the manager will be delighted to get them back on the training ground.

He will have some time now to build on a slightly inconsistent start, with three wins and three losses. There are a lot of positives in there and some points on the board.

There are foundations to build on and now they know what squad they have to work with. It is time to look forward, build some consistency and find a way to get more control in games.

Looking at the new signings, Brandon Fleming is a left-sided player that I think will be cover for Jordan Shipley. Ryan Finnigan coming in as a central midfielder makes sense, as I’ve felt Town need a ball-player in the middle and I’m hoping he will help with that.

Nohan Kenneh has been playing in holding midfield. He’s a fantastic tackler and ball-winner, but maybe the best parts of his game are not with the ball. I think he needs someone alongside him to help and try and get Shrewsbury playing through midfield.

That can then allow Taylor Perry and Tom Bayliss to pick the ball up higher up the pitch.

Meanwhile, Travis Hernes has made his move to Newcastle and what a fantastic opportunity it is for him.

It is brilliant for the academy to see someone come through, play for the first team and now get this opportunity to move to a huge football club – a Champions League club.

Although I imagine he will be in the under-21s set-up, it is a great opportunity for him.

The academy staff deserve a massive well done for how much they have improved the set-up in recent years – and Hernes’ move is real proof of that. Excellent work all-round.

Of course we would love to see him stay and develop at Shrewsbury, and become a regular for the first team, but when a club like Newcastle come knocking it is hard to turn down.

It is a fantastic opportunity for the player and the club will be well-rewarded with a fee. It’s a win-win for everyone.