Analysis: Shrewsbury build their push up the league on solid ground

But what has made their start to the season impressive?

Built from the back

Shrewsbury have let in 23 goals in their opening 21 fixtures, and have kept five clean sheets. That’s the sixth lowest tally in the division. Chey Dunkley has played every minute of every game they have had in the league since arriving in the summer, and he has been a real rock at the centre of the back three. In fact, Matthew Pennington and Tom Flanagan have also both had great starts to the season. Being solid, and not letting many goals gives the team a great platform to kick on from.

Goals from all over

Town’s goals have come from everywhere so far this season, no outstanding player is leading the way on the goalscoring charts.

Tom Bayliss and Luke Leahy both have five each in all competitions, and Town have had 10 different players contributing to the 22 goals they have netted in League One.

The strikers perhaps would have liked a goal or two more, but hopefully, the game against Bolton was a sign of what is to come for Salop from Rob Street and Christian Saydee with them both scoring. In fairness, their performance levels and work-rates have remained high despite not hitting the net too often.

The defenders have made important contributions too, with Pennington and Dunkley both chipping in with goals.

Versatility

Much has been said about the versatility in Shrewsbury’s squad, but without it, they would not have been able to deal with the injury problems quite as effortlessly as they have.

Jordan Shipley dropping into the left wing-back role in place of the injured George Nurse has been a revelation. And Taylor Moore, who has filled in for Flanagan and Pennington when they were missing at centre-back now finds himself doing a job at right wing-back, and he is doing a very good one too.

Rekeil Pyke is another who has played a few different roles for Town, in a front two, on the right side of midfield and at right wing-back. If you took five important players out of most elite football teams they would struggle. Shrewsbury’s small squad has done very well to cope with the demands of the season so far.

Competing in every game

A quite remarkable stat from Shrewsbury’s season to this point is that only against Ipswich in August, and versus Cheltenham early in October have Salop lost by more than one goal.

Those games finished 3-0 and 2-0 but every other league game has been a cagey affair.

It backs up the theory that even though they have not always won games, they have never been too far away, and they give themselves a chance.

When you only trail by a goal it only takes one moment of brilliance to get you back into it.

And with players with the quality of Bayliss and Shipley, they always look like they may have a goal in them.