Shrewsbury v MK Dons preview: Sam Ricketts’ men seeking an end to winless run

Town return to the bread and butter of League One with the dust long since settled on the glitz and glamour of a 53,000 Liverpool sell-out, writes Lewis Cox.

And Sam Ricketts’ men have no time to feel sorry for themselves after a first half no-show against the Kop kids, where the opportunity of a lucrative fifth-round tie at Chelsea passed them by.

Not all of the 8,000 Salopians that painted Anfield Road blue and amber and made noise all night long will be at Montgomery Waters Meadow for the visit of the Dons tomorrow – but Town must show the supporters they can respond from the bitter FA Cup disappointment.

Town have slipped to 16th in League One after a seven-match winless run, which dates back to December 21, in which time they have also not registered a clean sheet.

But back-to-back home clashes in the space of four days against opposition below them in the table represent an important opportunity to get back on track. Accrington Stanley can wait for now, as MK Dons’ visit must be viewed as a pivotal opportunity to show a reaction.

Shrewsbury’s ambition this season, certainly that portrayed on the record, is to improve on last season’s finish of 18th. But while, until recently, Town were competing in mid-table – there was the feeling among those involved that a play-off push was certainly achievable.

Ricketts’ men are just three points ahead of Russell Martin’s strugglers, who may have picked up in recent weeks but are struggling terribly on the road having taken just two points from a possible 33.

Town chief executive Brian Caldwell believes the run to a fourth-round replay in the FA Cup for a second consecutive has impacted league results.

Shrews reached the same stage before losing at Molineux last season amid a nine-match winless league run, but were able to go five unbeaten afterwards.

“I’ve been involved in football for 25 years – the highs are great, but the lows are really, really low,” Caldwell said.

“You just have to take it on the chin and we need to look for a reaction in the next few league games and get back on track because there’s no doubt the FA Cup run has affected our league form of late. That’s our bread and butter and hopefully we can now start to pick up points and climb back up the table.

“It’s no shock our league form has been affected. There’s been a lot of games, but we’ve now got a lot of games before the end of the season – a number of Tuesday nights – so the intensity continues and hopefully the new players we brought in January can assist that.”

Town loan signing Conor McAleny, captured on loan from league rivals Fleetwood last Thursday, made an eye-catching debut last weekend at Rochdale and is likely to make his home bow tomorrow.

McAleny and left-sided defender Sam Hart are Town’s two new signings to have made their debuts for Ricketts’ side.

Ex-Bolton midfielder Josh Vela will have a couple of weeks on the sidelines with a muscle problem before making his Shrews bow.

Goalkeeper Harry Burgoyne and loan defender Kayne Ramsay are the other additions. Trickster McAleny said of Town’s goal-shy forward options: “Us forward lads are chomping at the bit and I’m sure things will change soon.

“We’ve got a good few options. It’s healthy as well when there’s a bit of competition, it keeps the lads on their toes.”

“There’s a lot of talent in that room. We’ve got three months to really kick on and I’m sure we can do that.

“He’s told me to kick on, help the team, chip in with assists and goals and just be a threat going forward.”

Former Shrewsbury frontman Carlton Morris, who spent the 2017/18 season on loan at the Meadow, is a doubt having limped out of Dons’ win against Wycombe last weekend.

Town captain Ollie Norburn was forced to sit in among the 8,000 at Anfield with the injury that forced him off early on during initial cup-tie and is unlikely to have recovered in time for tomorrow’s crunch clash.