Shrewsbury v Wigan: Shrewsbury Town need to start turning promise into victories
Shrewsbury Town have been much improved in recent times, and now they must convert those performances into something tangible.
In the last four games, since Paul Hurst has taken over as Salop head coach, they have not looked like a side languishing in 19th place in the League One table.
But they are still in the midst of a relegation battle.
Town are four points ahead of Port Vale, who currently occupy the closest relegation spot, but the Valiants have two games in hand so Shrewsbury’s position remains vulnerable.
The positive news is the League One table is so congested there are so many clubs that can get dragged into the fight.
Hurst’s side are four points off the drop zone, but they are also just four points away from 13th-placed Exeter City.
Performances have been good and the signs are good too, but ultimately it is the points they have on the board come the end of the season that will determine whether they retain their League One safety.
And for a side that has had an issue scoring for large parts of this season, Hurst is pleased with the threat his side is showing, considering they have scored in every game since he has taken over.
“We looked like a threat and as the game progressed we had a couple of decent moves,” Hurst said reflecting on the draw against Barnsley.
“There are other times when we have got to try and show that bit of composure, but when players are getting tired it almost feels easier just to put your foot through it rather than to take a touch and be that little bit more composed.
“But I do think we are carrying a threat, I do not think Barnsley were ever comfortable, and we have switched play well.
“We have had good situations, but a lot of the time it can be about the opposition as well – so it is not always easy to create.
“Barnsley were very front foot, they committed men forward, and that can leave some potential gaps that we can exploit.”
And Wigan will be the team they look to exploit next as they welcome Shaun Maloney’s side to the Croud Meadow this weekend.
The visitors are 14th in the league, but that is largely down to the eight-point deduction they had for their financial issues – their actual form would have them competing for a play-off place, so this will not be an easy game for Hurst’s men.
It will be interesting to see what Paul Hurst does about his team tomorrow.
The players have given a huge amount against Derby and the Tykes, and they looked tired come the end of the game on Tuesday.
Could he look to rotate? One player he will not be able to bring into the squad is Max Mata as the striker completed his loan move to Sligo Rovers in the League of Ireland – the club he signed from in the summer.
