Boss Graham Turner insists Shrewsbury Town will improve as they prepare to launch the second half of their League Two campaign at Accrington Stanley tonight.

Town have reached the midway point of their season in eighth place in the table, an out-of-sorts run of one victory in nine games leaving them six points outside the automatic promotion places.

Avoiding defeat tonight would see Shrewsbury return to the play-off zone and Turner believes there is more to come from his side in the second half of the season.

“I have been in the club six months and am still finding out about players, different circumstances we are likely to meet and the reaction from those players,” said Turner.

“It takes a little bit of time to impose what I want to do on everybody on the playing side.

“We are up there in contention and I believe we can get better. I believe we are adding to the squad now with some better players and so I’m confident in the second half of the season we can improve.”

Turner is sure the disappointment of conceding a late equaliser at Barnet on Saturday has been erased as they prepare to face an Accrington side who are unbeaten in four.

“We felt we were the better side and it was two points dropped – but we move on,” he added.

“Had we won the game, it would have just relaxed the players a bit more at Accrington. But it’s a test of character and we have to come through this little spell of disappointing results.”

Captain Ian Sharps suffered a dead leg at Barnet and, while a final decision will be made as late as possible, Turner is confident he will recover in time.

And the Town boss has a fresh defensive option with Coventry on-loan Jermaine Grandison to be considered for the first time.

“Jermaine didn’t arrive with us until travelling down to Barnet on Saturday morning,” added Turner.

“To throw a 20-year-old straight in the side without ever having met the other players or done a training session with us, I think would have been asking too much.”

By JAMES GARRISON