Dave Edwards: A huge run of games for Shrewsbury to climb from trouble

Unfortunately the late home loss was a bit of a reality check, because when you look at the table that night and see Town just three points off the bottom four it is a little bit alarming after such an amazing run – it shows how important that run was as well.

By the look of the table it seems there’s just one relegation place left to escape. Crewe, in 22nd, will have to put together a very good run and Doncaster and Gillingham look pretty much done and would have to do something miraculous.

But Town have Gillingham, AFC Wimbledon and Fleetwood up next, all below with games in hand and the latter two could leapfrog us.

If Town can pick up the results that performances of late and on Saturday definitely warranted, then they’ll be out of it and can really start looking up the table.

It’s a big couple of weeks now and the biggest thing is to remain confident because apart from putting the ball in the net that was a very good performance against Bolton. They moved the ball really well and looked miles better than Bolton in all aspects for an hour but unfortunately couldn’t get the goal.

It looked like they tired a little before the end and that brings questions of making subs a little early and then recruitment. Steve Cotterill will know better than anyone who’s ready to come on.

It just felt from the outside like fresh legs would’ve been helpful to finish strongly and take the game to Bolton.

It was a wonderful strike but, as with any goal in any league, there was one or two mistakes in there.

Ninety-nine times out of 100 it doesn’t fly into the top corner from Dion Charles, but it felt Town were a little ragged by that point. The ball came into Bowman, and after a few good chances he didn’t quite look as energetic as his usual self, it’s difficult for him and Udoh to keep going game after game.

He’ll be disappointed he didn’t hold it up better, but when it did come back into their right-hand channel, Dave Davis and Luke Leahy had left a gaping hole on the edge of Town’s box with Josh Vela also ahead of play.

These two have been outstanding of late, especially Davis, and a big part of recent form. I’m not sure if they were tired mentally or physically, but they’ll be disappointed they weren’t protecting the middle of the pitch.

Looking at bottom club Gillingham tonight, who haven’t won in some time, the visitors have to take advantage of that. They have to take confidence from how well they did for 60 or 70 minutes against Bolton. It’s hard if you’re on Gillingham’s run as a player, you’re thinking ‘where’s this next win coming from?’

It will be fascinating if Steve names the same team for a seventh game out of seven, I think that’s a big ask. Hopefully the lads he’s brought in are getting up to speed.

It’s just a case of freshening it up, it’s not about lads being dropped, but freshening it up. I’d like to think there could be a couple of changes.

There’s not long left in the window and I still think Town need a few more players, just to help the lads and so the manager can make early changes with Saturday-Tuesday games.

It’s not normal in football to play every week, game after game after game, they are used to be rotated and it’s needed with the pace of modern-day football.

I’d like to see in particular a technical player, a No.10, Harry Chapman-esque type, if you take a punt on a loan like that – I know the last couple haven’t been great – but if you have a technical attacker on the bench and you need a goal late on you could send for a Chappy to unlock a defence.

Town don’t have that, Tyrese Fornah will bring much-needed more legs, but getting a maverick-type in could be key. It will be interesting, Steve saying there’s not much budget with Brian Caldwell having said there is budget left earlier in the season. I’m not sure if it’s mind games, but it’ll be fascinating.