Darren Moore remains positive despite Doncaster Rovers missing chance to go top

Rovers produced a dominant performance in the first half, but the visitors - aided by a system change - improved on the restart and took the lead in the 53th minute when Aaron Pierre headed home his fourth goal of the season.

Despite late pressure, Shrews held out to secure a third successive 1-0 victory at the home of a promotion contender as they followed up December wins at Lincoln City and Hull City.

Moore, whose side welcome Accrington on Boxing Day, commented: “I said to the boys that I was really happy in terms of the performance. I always look for a performance and I do not tend to look at the result, but the performance.

“The boys gave a good account of themselves and I felt that we dominated the game from start to finish.

“When you get ‘done’ by a set-play, you are always disappointed with that, but it is what it is and we move on.

“In the first half, we pulled them apart in terms of the system that they had and I thought we exposed that to great lengths and at half-time, we knew they would change as we knew that they could not keep going like that.

“They changed the system and shape and I think it took us the first ten minutes of the second half (to readjust) and once we got to grips with it, we started to find our rhythm again

“After they scored from the set-play, they retreated into a really deep low block and it was up to us to carve them up and break them down.

“There were probably some finer bits when we were attacking when we did not choose the right pass or option what was available, but it is something for the team to learn.

“But overall, I have got no qualms from them in terms of the performance.”

It was a game which saw Tyreece John-Jules and Fejiri Okenabirhie partnered up front and both displayed goal threat and encouragement for the future, something that was acknowledged by Moore.

He added: “We know they can play together and the unfortunate thing for us this season is that we have not had them available to play together.

“But nurturing Tyreece back to full fitness, I have always felt since getting them both to the club that there are going to more games where they play together and you can see the link-up and understanding which they have both got, which is good.”