'I think we can finish higher than Northampton' - Gareth Ainsworth reacts to Shrewsbury draw
Gareth Ainsworth believes his Shrewsbury Town side can finish above Northampton after the two teams played out a 1-1 draw in Shropshire.
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After a tough year, Salop ended 2024 with a point at the Croud Meadow, after Ainsworth's side and Kevin Nolan's Cobblers cancelled each other out.
It was a low-quality clash, in which Town took the lead on the hour mark when Aaron Pierre smashed home his second goal in Ainsworth's tenure.
But Town led for just three minutes as Cameron McGeehan converted from a set piece to bring Northampton level.
Shrewsbury trail their opponents by six points in the League One table and are three matches unbeaten.
And Ainsworth thinks his side can leapfrog Northampton this campaign.
“I'm pleased with the performance today," the head coach said. "I think with no disrespect to Northampton, I think we can finish higher than Northampton. I'm telling you now - that is what I think as the Shrewsbury manager.
"It was tough in the first half, and very little quality in there. It was a real battle, but I am really proud of the boys.
“We are fighting and scrapping now in that side of the game, and all we were doing when I first came in was trying to play and pass and not have the fight.
“We have got the fight now. I have reset that, which is brilliant, and we are on an unbeaten run, and unbeaten teams don’t go down - I will tell you that.
“If we can add that bit of quality that they have got because I have seen it in bits, but the fundamentals have got to be giving everything, the fight and being solid.
“I asked them at half-time could we add a bit more quality, and I think they did second half.
“I think we played some good stuff it was not perfect but this is the bottom of League One, and as I have said before, I am not here to be pretty; I'm here to get out of this situation."
