Where there’s life, there’s hope. And Shrewsbury Town just about have both as they head into the final three weeks of their campaign.

A season which was seven minutes away from having its final rites penned on Saturday was given fresh impetus by Kris Bright’s opening strike in Shrewsbury colours and Town’s first Prostar Stadium goal in three minutes over eight hours.

The relief was tangible, even if Paul Simpson’s side still require the cards to fall heavily in their favour if play-off aspirations are to be realised.

So precarious is their position that only nine points from three games and a major helping hand from elsewhere will be enough to salvage something from this faltering campaign.

But a deserved double-clinching victory over Lincoln has kept their season bubbling away for at least another week.

Indeed, Simpson’s men deserve credit for their response over the last seven days to a run of six successive defeats.

They may have ridden their luck at times but three matches since that horrendous run have now yielded seven points and a trio of clean sheets.

Uncertain

“It’s a massive relief,” said Town boss Paul Simpson of Saturday’s victory.

“We had enough chances to win two or three games and we were positive.

“We have waited a long time to get a goal at home but the only thing that mattered on Saturday was the three points.

“I didn’t care how we got the goal and who it came from.

“We all know how tense and uncertain everything is – we just needed a win and we got it.”

And what of Bright? A striker whose own season-long goal drought would have haunted him every which way he turned finally removed that monkey from his back.

His timing was impeccable too, popping up with the clock ticking towards a second successive goalless draw and an unwanted club record of five consecutive home games without a goal.

He will have scored better goals than his close range tap-in after a Kevin McIntyre flick to a Steve Leslie cross, but not many more important.

And it secured a victory that Shrewsbury warranted on the balance of play.

True, Lincoln had their opportunities, but the volume of chances Shrewsbury created was probably greater than any other home game in 2010.

On three occasions, the excellent Jake Simpson forced Lincoln goalkeeper Rob Burch into high-quality saves from sweetly struck shots.

Dave Hibbert also smashed the woodwork with a spectacular overhead kick while a Kelvin Langmead header somehow flashed across the face of goal and wide of the post without anybody providing the elusive final touch.

Throw in several other half chances and the statistics will prove that Shrewsbury did enough to clinch all three points.

That isn’t to say Lincoln didn’t have their moments and Town were again grateful to find the ever-improving David Button in impressive form when called upon.

The on-loan Tottenham goalkeeper is growing stronger with each outing and was to produce a fine early save from the classy Danny Somma before trumping that by tipping a curling shot from Matthew Saunders onto the post in the second period.

For so long, it appeared a stalemate – albeit an entertaining one – was inevitable but Bright had other ideas.

Approval

His delight at breaking his own goal drought was evident and he almost doubled his tally when Burch kept out a neat volley as the clock ticked down.

But the New Zealander had already done enough to finally earn the roars of approval from the Town faithful.

It’s one down and three to go in four must-win games for Shrewsbury.

Northampton, Morecambe and Port Vale now await with Simpson and his side knowing they can’t afford to drop a point.

The task is enormous, their chances still slim.

But they still, just about, have it all to play for.