“Sometimes that is as good as a victory,” beamed Grant Holt after Shrewsbury Town’s stunning late fightback at Gillingham.

And as the dust settles on an eventful weekend, it is hard to argue with the talismanic forward.

Two goals down after 52 minutes and still in the same sticky predicament with just 12 minutes left on the clock, Town’s long trip to Kent appeared destined to be logged as another chapter in the book of away day woes.

But a season can turn very quickly at this ‘squeaky-bum’ time of the campaign, and two late strikes from Holt ensured the top three positions remain a possibility and that Town’s belief will today arguably be higher than at any other stage in 2009.

Just where Shrewsbury stand in the grand League Two picture will become clearer tomorrow night, when several of their promotion rivals chalk off their game in hand.

But, regardless of the outcomes of those matches, Shrewsbury will still be firmly in touch entering the final eight games of the season.

And, crucially, they finally have some uplifting news on the road to draw on.

Of course, doubts will linger amongst some critics until a first victory on the road since August 16 is achieved.

But fighting back from the dead against a main rival for promotion provides the next best alternative for adding impetus to a run-in.

What’s more, Shrewsbury thoroughly deserved their share of their spoils and could even have won it in injury time had Gillingham goalkeeper Simon Royce not made a stunning save to deny Holt a hat-trick.

But the most impressive feature of this 10th away draw of the campaign was the way Town lifted themselves from crushing blows, not once but twice.

They had to digest the first after just three minutes, Curtis Weston blasting a stunning 25-yard volley into the top corner.

It was a high-class strike which did nothing for Town’s hopes of gaining an early foothold in the game after employing a 4-5-1 formation for the second successive game.

Shrewsbury gave as good as they got for the remainder of the first half, more than matching Gillingham in a tight encounter.

But chances at both ends proved elusive, and there was a nagging worry that Town would struggle to regularly test Royce while Holt ploughed a loan furrow – Shrewsbury’s only first half shot of note coming when a 44th minute free-kick from Ben Davies was deflected and superbly kept out by Royce.

Simpson introduced Moses Ashikodi to introduce a 4-4-2 formation and greater attacking threat after the break, but the visitors’ hopes appeared to be over when they gifted the Gills their second on 52 minutes.

The otherwise excellent Kelvin Langmead took too long to make what appeared a routine clearance, and allowed the pacy Simeon Jackson to dispossess him.

One simple back flick later and Nicky Southall was clean through and he was to make no mistake in slotting past Luke Daniels.

For a side that had scored just three times in the last 10 away games, there appeared no way back for Shrewsbury.

But suddenly Town gathered some momentum and produced their most impressive attacking display in recent weeks during the final half-hour.

Royce had to be alert to keep out two more Davies free-kicks while Ashikodi fired a golden opportunity against the bar from 12 yards after excellent work from Holt.

At the other end, Gillingham were denied the chance to make it three when Daniels made a fine save from a Mark McCammon shot, before Town were given hope by a 78th minute penalty from Holt.

As Simpson admitted afterwards, it was a brave decision by referee Graham Horwood to point to the spot, with the type of block on Ashikodi by Barry Fuller going unpunished so often.

But, by the strict letter of the law, a penalty award was correct and Holt held his nerve to slot home twice, going in the opposite corner after Horwood ordered a re-take for an encroachment by Ashikodi.

Shrewsbury swarmed forward late on with Holt denied by Royce before Town’s leading scorer grabbed his 26th goal of the season when he nodded home a sublime cross from Chris Humphrey in the 89th minute.

That sparked wild celebrations in the visiting camp before Shrewsbury almost snatched all three points when Holt’s left volley was tripped behind by a full-stretched Royce.

Simpson marked the full-time whistle by gathering the entire travelling party on the match for a post-match huddle, during which he outlined his pride and delight at the late revival.

And that only added to the sense that Saturday may just have been a defining moment in Shrewsbury’s season.

By James Garrison