Verdict: Shrewsbury Town draw blank but catch the eye in further showing of progress

Shrewsbury Town passed a big League One landmark not quite in swashbuckling style, but with an impressive performance at the home of very difficult opposition.

There are boring 0-0 snore-fests and then there was this contest in Kent, a competitive, vibrant, energetic affair contested by two similarly positive sides. It could have easily been 2-2 or even more.

Many sides come unstuck against Gillingham’s physical and effective style. They crumble under the pressure of set-pieces and long throws. Shrewsbury negated it and thrived themselves, with and without the ball.

Still, the league table doesn’t care for how points are won, only that they are claimed, and Steve Cotterill’s side can be extremely satisfied with themselves for reaching the yardstick that most call league safety – even though relegation has not been a realistic concern for some weeks, or even months, now.

The very fact that Shrewsbury have reached the 50-point mark with eight league games remaining – 24 points still to play for – best sums up the remarkable job from all players and staff since Cotterill’s appointment in late November.

It has to be reiterated that Shrewsbury have been without their influential leader in person for four months out of five with Cotterill at the helm. Long, difficult, draining, potentially extremely damaging weeks packed full of fixtures. It could have easily derailed Salop’s season and unravelled all of their good work, but it didn’t.

Reaching 50 points after the goalless draw at Priestfield feels like something of a line in the sand as the squad can now truly turn their attentions to reeling in sides ahead of them and clambering out of 17th place – the position they have occupied for a good three months and the source of frustration, albeit not real frustration given the trouble they have escaped in barely a few months.

Town players have long been looking upwards rather than over their shoulders. They have held that ambition since just a few weeks after Cotterill walked through the door.

But, having reached a significant landmark with still so many points available, Shrewsbury can now make very realistic targets between now and May 8.

There are very winnable games left, Town have games in hand on many rivals, there is a real opportunity to climb above several opponents and achieve a points total that would stand them clear of all but one season in a generation.

Aside from 2017/18, in which Paul Hurst’s side made the play-off final, Town last breached 60 points in the third tier in 1990.

Three wins and a draw from eight games to equal that would be a truly excellent return. Even better than excellent, when you factor the very treacherous starting point for Cotterill in November.

It is worth reiterating that Town, finding themselves second-bottom, had taken just nine points from their opening 13 league games. One win – on the road – and a historically bad winless start on home soil.

The turnaround – given the side-story of the manager’s ill health and absence – really has been quite something.

Saturday’s goalless draw was actually one of Salop’s livelier displays of recent weeks – perhaps barring the clinical three-goal second half against Plymouth on Easter Monday.

This was an enormous occasion for Steve Evans’ Gills who, the manager admitted, were at win or bust stage in terms of their own outside push for the play-offs.

And Town were every bit as ambitious, creative, energetic and full of spark as their hosts, for whom it was a must-win.

A point was probably about right on the balance of play but either side could have won it.

The home side perhaps created the clearest chance – as in-form top scorer Vadaine Oliver lashed an opening just wide from the edge of the box – but Shrewsbury had four more shots than the hosts (a huge 17) and more on target.

Gillingham, fresh from Evans and Oliver being named manager and player of the month, started well with Jordan Graham typically sharp on the right flank, enjoying some joy against Nathanael Ogbeta and getting crosses in.

Typically, the Gills looked to use their physical threat with direct balls forward and into the box towards Oliver and John Akinde. Right-back Ryan Jackson’s long throw is a huge weapon and one that undoes many sides in the division.

But, by 10 minutes, Cotterill’s men had found their feet and built up confidence.

They worked their football through a mix of neat passing and direct running to enjoy some territory in Gillingham’s third before really settling into a fluent rhythm.

By the mid-point of the first period, the visitors knitted together moves of 20 or 30 passes, caressing the ball between one wide centre-half and the other – Matthew Pennington and Ro-Shaun Williams showing they were equally as effective with the ball as blocking shots.

Town began to create. Donald Love probably should have scored and the impressive Daniel Udoh went close too. Town were well on top but fortunate to survive as busy Gills left-back Connor Ogilvie scrambled against the post on the stroke of half-time.

Evans shook things up at the break, making two changes and Gillingham responded well, but Shrewsbury soon reacted themselves and a really watchable contest continued, with both sides pushing throughout as they sought a late winner.

Oliver’s chance was a clear one, but Ogbeta and substitute duo Harry Chapman and Curtis Main all went even closer for Town, who were sharp on the break and remained a constant threat.

A welcome second consecutive clean sheet as the 50-point mark was reached highlights the impressive reaction to Good Friday’s tame defeat at lowly Northampton.

Concern from sections of supporters have been that Town have little to play for in the final weeks of the season, but that was not at all evident here.

If the players were out there to impress Cotterill and other onlookers to secure their future in the game, they certainly caught the eye.

And the prospect of Shrewsbury recording a statement points haul in building momentum for next season is an exciting one.e.