BOTH captain and manager were in agreement after Tuesday night’s horror show at Shrewsbury that they owed the club’s travelling army of supporters an apology.

That apology also came with a promise – that they would show the kind of fight, determination and effort at Southend on Saturday that was sadly lacking at Greenhous Meadow.

“I just feel we have let everyone associated with the club down,” said captain Jim McNulty, after the 5-0 defeat.

“We feel that and will be feeling it for the rest of the week, no matter what we do on Saturday.

“Even if we go down there and get a win, which we need to do now, I will still be hurting from this one.”

And while McNulty could not explain the abject display, he assured supporters there would be no repeat on the Essex coast.

“(The fans that go to Southend can expect to see) some fight and some spirit, because I don’t think there was much tonight,” he added.

“We were second best. I don’t want to use the phrase men against boys but it felt like that at times.

“We didn’t do our jobs in all departments. Shrewsbury were better than us – one to 11.

“So-called good players that have been brought in to the club that can operate higher than this level, apparently, didn’t do it.

“I would like to promise the fans, at the very least, that they will see effort. That should be a given, but sometimes in football we might forget about that.

“It’s been an atrocious day, weather wise, and fans have been brave enough to travel in these dangerous conditions, where trees have fallen and what not, to come here and pay good money to watch us.

“And we have given them absolutely nothing in return. So we will try our best to give our deserving supporters some return on the money they have paid out tonight.”

Despite overseeing the biggest defeat since taking over as boss at Bury 11 months ago, manager David Flitcroft said he was struck by the way the Shakers’ 349-strong army of fans stuck by the side, and vowed to repay that support.

“They were still clapping the team at 5-0, telling the players to keep their heads up, and that kind of support drives me forward, that sort of support is unconditional,” he said.

“That’s what good supporters do, so we will get it right, I will get it right for them – those supporters that told us to keep our heads up tonight. I will get it right for them – that’s my promise.”