Analysis: Can Shrewsbury fans draw comfort from recent form?

Shrewsbury Town have lost just once in nine League One games following Saturday’s 1-1 home draw against Fleetwood Town.

A good record, no doubt. Most sides to have lost so few over recent weeks and months would expect to be moving up the table somewhat swiftly.

Town, however, are also without a win in five league games. They last tasted success in the third tier on January 2 with that impressive 1-0 home success over Sheffield Wednesday.

That run of five games features four draws and one last-minute defeat.

Steve Cotterill has regularly stated after a run of five league draws in seven “if you can’t win a game make sure you don’t lose” and there is no arguing that assessment.

But he will know as well as anybody that runs of draws get teams looking to progress nowhere fast, which is why while Town moved up one place to 16th on Saturday and remain just four points clear of the drop zone.

One defeat in nine but no wins in five is why, depending on the volume of drink in your glass, your outlook on Shrewsbury’s current situation can differ.

It must also be highlighted when referencing their recent form that Town have played out a run of favourable fixtures.

That is, by the way, with a nod to oppositions’ league positions. All of their league games since that Owls victory has been against sides either below them or around them in the league. Indeed, it was only big-spending and upwardly-mobile Bolton, with that cruel last-gasp winner, who have now climbed above Shrews.

It is not in reference to the ridiculous run of lengthy away trips Town have endured of late, which continues this week at Wycombe tomorrow night and then against Plymouth in Devon on Saturday.

But it does feel that Shrewsbury have missed an opportunity in a seemingly favourable five fixtures against clubs – at the time – below them in the league in having taken just four points.

Wins are worth the same three points no matter who they are against, but victories against struggling rivals beneath them would boost Salop clear of danger and push their rivals deeper in trouble.

We all know that fixtures against strugglers are no automatic pass to three points. Sides below Shrewsbury may well see fixtures against Cotterill’s men as a real chance to get up and running. But, even so, those clubs are down in the lower reaches of the league table after almost 30 games for a reason. They are the poorer sides in the league and you hope to pick up a couple of victories in such a run.

Those wins would’ve certainly lifted Town’s prospects and pushed them closer to a comfortable and more enjoyable mid-table berth – a target of Cotterill and his players.

Instead, Shrewsbury remain very much in the thick of it. You hope, with the three bottom clubs – each on 22 points – seemingly all-but gone, there is just one more relegation place to avoid.

And with Morecambe, AFC Wimbledon, Fleetwood, Lincoln and Cheltenham below Town in that particular fight – some poor sides – it would take a terrible run of form between now and May to slip down.

The fact Shrews don’t lose many games is in their favour, but a lack of creativity, goals and wins in recent weeks nags away. Only wins will truly lift Town clear of danger.

This latest draw, against the Trawlermen, was a game of two halves.

Aside from a 10 or 15 minute start, in which Ryan Bowman should have opened the scoring for the hosts, the first half belonged to Fleetwood and they deservedly led at half-time through Anthony Pilkington.

Cotterill’s half-time change of personnel and system undoubtedly turned things back in his side’s favour.

One new loanee, Saikou Janneh, was introduced for another, Tyrese Fornah, and Salop switched from their familiar 3-5-2 to 4-3-3. Within 90 seconds they were level as Luke Leahy, back from a one-game injury absence, converted a penalty after Daniel Udoh was felled.

Town had the better of the second period and should have won it late on through Ethan Ebanks-Landell and Udoh.

It was a big improvement from a first half in which they did not look themselves. Shrews’ recent defensive solidity had abandoned them and all of a sudden the Meadow was eerie and jittery. But a second half improvement would go on to ease those feelings.

New boys Tom Flanagan and Matty Bondswell, the deadline day arrivals, did not get a run out from the bench. Town created enough to win the game late on, but it remains of interest to see how the side will create enough to win the games ahead of them – beginning with a tasking double-header on the road this week.