Analysis: Mid-table is now in sight for Shrewsbury

And they may have timed it well.

There is never a bad time to play well and win games, obviously, and had Salop discovered some of this consistency at both ends of the pitch earlier in the campaign they would be looking at the top half of League One.

But, as it has all played out, fears of relegation were still a real fear among some supporters as recent as a fortnight ago. Now the gulf to the bottom four is 15 points!

Fast-forward three games, however, and Steve Cotterill’s side have delivered on what had undoubtedly been improved performances. Now they have become a team that knows how to win games.

Now Shrewsbury have six fixtures remaining this season with a very real prospect of climbing as high as 12th, in what would be a stand-out league finish for the club, after the team made it three wins in a row in the league for the first time in 15 months.

Top goalscorer Daniel Udoh was again the Salopian match-winning hero as his fine strike six minutes from time – a typical Udoh goal laced with power – won the day on an otherwise difficult, muggy afternoon low on chances on either goal.

For Town, the numbers are beginning to add up.

For 15-goal top scorer Udoh another milestone. In his two previous seasons for Shrewsbury he managed four and five goals respectively, this season it is 12 in the league and a landmark of 15 in all competitions.

Ahead of him from recent years just Fejiri Okenabirhie – 16 in all competitions and 10 in the league – and James Collins – 17 in all competitions and 15 in the league back in 2014/15’s League Two promotion.

There was another impressive number racked up, the clean sheet total after three in a row – the bedrock of Town’s season.

Shrewsbury and Marko Marosi – the goalkeeper has played in every league game – amassed their 14th shutout of the campaign. Marosi’s efforts equalled those of Dean Henderson’s from 2017/18 as a best for a Town goalkeeper in the modern League One era.

As has been written a number of times, the fact that Shrewsbury opened up without a clean sheet in any competition for more than two months of the season and now mix it with the best defensive records in the league is scarcely believable.

Indeed, Cotterill’s men tally of 37 conceded in 40 games remains the third-fewest shipped in the division behind the top two. Even next Saturday’s hosts, third-placed MK Dons, have conceded more goals. An amazing statistic.

Shrewsbury are the only team in the bottom half with a positive goal difference (of four). Only one other side, Charlton, come close.

Most pressingly, Town now find themselves just two points from 12th.

Securing a finish of between 12th and 14th would be an excellent achievement and really underline progress. It is not a given, there are some daunting fixtures left among the final six and some rivals have played a game fewer, but Salop have momentum with them and will fancy themselves against any opponent with how they are playing at the moment.

This third win in a row saw off a Lincoln side in 18th who have endured a difficult campaign perhaps not all too dissimilar to Town’s.

My counterpart from the Lincolnshire Echo merely suggested the game and its finale ‘summed up our season’ in regards to the Imps’ woes.

City, play-off final losers last season don’t forget, have struggled to build on and recapture last season’s heroics in what appears from the outside a touch of Shrewsbury’s similar struggles post the Paul Hurst play-off campaign.

It was not Shrewsbury’s most impressive or thrilling performance from recent weeks. It was a far cry from the 3-0 heroics at leaders Rotherham seven days earlier or the mauling or Morecambe.

In all honesty, Town have played better in recent times and drawn or even lost matches. But this was a different test in coming through without key defender Tom Flanagan, away with his country Northern Ireland.

The first half was a bit of a non-event. Cotterill cited the warm weather and there definitely felt something in that. The manager said the humid conditions had ‘caught people off guard’ in the week and said he will look at how his squad stay hydrated.

At half-time the contest looked like it was going nowhere but Cotterill’s decision to replace right forward Tom Bloxham with right wing-back Josh Daniels at the interval was an inspired one.

With that the formation tweaked slightly and Shrewsbury got to grips with Lincoln’s dangermen better. Michael Appleton’s visitors created next to nothing in the second half.

Tyrese Fornah, Town’s loan midfielder from Nottingham Forest, was excellent again as he continues to grow and blossom. Keep this up and he will be pushing to be involved at the City Ground next season.

Skipper Ethan Ebanks-Landell, tireless forward Ryan Bowman and half-time introduction Daniels all deserve credit for their displays.

Even though Udoh’s fine winner thumped into the corner from 20 yards with minimal backlift didn’t necessarily feel like it was coming, it was a result of Town being in the ascendency and having created the majority of chances.

Salop have 12th in their sights – and on this form, you wouldn’t bet against them.