Fleetwood v Shrewsbury - Match preview
David Davis admits Shrewsbury Town know their away form has been nowhere near good enough this season.
Town can hand their supporters a belated gift on Boxing Day with a first win in 12 attempts on their League One travels this season, in what is another crunch clash at the wrong end of the table at Fleetwood Town.
Trips on the road have been arduous and of little reward for returning fans – aside from a couple of FA Cup away days.
Just two points from a possible 33 available is clearly a paltry total. There will not have been many poorer away runs in the club’s Football League history.
Clearly, if Steve Cotterill’s side have aspirations of climbing from 20th in the third tier table, that form must be addressed. Remarkably, Town’s record is not the worst in the league – Doncaster’s meagre total of one point takes that gong.
And it is only Town’s impressive home form of late, where they have won four from an unbeaten run of five and are ranked 10th in the league, keeping them out of the relegation places.
“The home form is great, but something we need to address quickly is our away form,” said midfielder Davis, who scored his first goal in almost four years with the clinching third against Cheltenham last weekend.
“We know it’s not been good enough and, off the back of last year, our away form was probably better than our home form.
“If we can address our away form at the moment, then there’s no real reason why we can’t keep climbing the table.
“Saturday gave us a great platform and then we go to Fleetwood on Boxing Day confident.
“We’re looking forward to going there, we had eight days to prepare for it, with a good rest.”
Fleetwood head into Christmas level on 22 points with Shrewsbury, although a better goal difference of three goals has them two places higher.
The Cod Army’s campaign has been one of upheaval. They have won just four of 11 home league games. Former boss Simon Grayson was axed a month ago with the Highbury club rooted in the drop zone.
Academy coach Stephen Crainey, the former Leeds, Celtic and Scotland left-back, 40, enjoyed a good stint as caretaker boss, including two wins and a clean sheet from the last three games, to propel Fleetwood out of the bottom four and above Salop.
Crainey was named head coach until the end of the season on Tuesday.
Shrews midfielder Davis, 30, meanwhile, admitted he was as surprised as anybody inside the Meadow when charging through on Cheltenham’s goal last weekend.
“It was mad, unlike me!” Davis smiled. “It was more the relief to get us an extra goal advantage.
“We knew they were piling pressure on, but it was a great goal.
“I’d been doing my extras to make sure I was ready if I was called upon. Obviously being back in side is no guarantees. But I kept myself in great shape and it pays off with runs like that.
“It was just anticipation, something I’d like to think I’m quite good at. I anticipated it and luckily it broke to me. I just ran and ran and luckily got a bit of composure to score.
“It was a bit of a nosebleed incident. I was just glad I could finish it, if I didn’t I’d probably have got a bit of stick.”
It was the midfield anchorman’s first Shrewsbury goal for some 10-and-a-half years. He hadn’t scored for previous club Birmingham since February 2018.
Davis isn’t fussed, however, and has previously said he cherishes a goal-saving challenge more than notching at the other end.
“As long as we’re winning, I couldn’t really care less, if I’m being totally honest,” he said on adding to the goal tally.
“Obviously to add goals is great, but I’m a defensive midfielder, so first and foremost I’d ideally like to keep clean sheets and help the team in that sense. But if I can add goals then great.”
