Shrewsbury v Forest Green - Match preview

Town’s resilience and character has been on show all season, but the way they have bounced back from a tricky Christmas period to win their last three league games in succession will delight boss Steve Cotterill.

With Shrews scoring 10 goals in their last three fixtures, only conceding one, and having six different goal scorers – it has been a perfect few weeks for Salop, who now sit in ninth place in the League One table.

And they will want to maintain that on Saturday when they welcome Forest Green – a side they comfortably beat 2-0 earlier in the season.

Against MK Dons on Tuesday night, Cotterill’s men defended valiantly, and Tom Bayliss, who had come on as a second-half substitute netted the winner in the 89th minute to send more than 200 travelling Shrewsbury fans into bedlam in the away end.

Shrewsbury Town first-team coach David Longwell said Salop are ‘assessing’ options ahead of the weekend in terms of team selection.

With it being another demanding week, they may decide to change the team up.

Just how the clash will pan out is difficult to know as the Green announced Duncan Ferguson as their new boss yesterday.

Ian Burchnall, who was appointed in the summer after Rob Edwards left to go to Watford, was dismissed after their latest defeat to Bolton Wanderers in midweek – despite Bolton having 10 men for more than 60 minutes.

Forest Green are without a win in their last eight matches in all competitions, and they have the worst goal difference in League One.

But Longwell says Shrewsbury will not take that for granted, saying they are well aware of their strengths.

He said: “We have done a lot of preparation but then the manager was sacked – it’s never nice for that to happen.

“It’s difficult. Forest Green is a club you can see how they have progressed over the years. They have done a fantastic job.

“They have obviously invested a lot of money in January – I think they have brought in eight players which makes it hard to know who is going to play.

“But when you throw in the fact the manager has changed, we just don’t know so we have to prepare as best we can.

“We know what players they have got. System wise we don’t know now, but we just have to plan, prepare, and do everything we can to help us so hopefully we win the game.

“But what we don’t do is underestimate them. They have got really good players. The results haven’t been there but performance-wise, we have looked at the games and they are not a bad side.

“They have some good players.”