A tangible sense of relief, quiet satisfaction at a job well done and encouragement for the future.

The Shrewsbury Town emotions at the full-time whistle at Accrington Stanley befitted a side which had breathed fresh impetus into a season which was just threatening to slip away from them.

A performance packed with endeavour, grit, spirit, tenacity and second half flashes of their attacking potency earned Shrewsbury this vital victory.

After a winless sequence of five matches, Graham Turner’s team delivered an emphatic response after some searching questions were posed in Lancashire.

On a night when they could ill afford to drop further points, the sight of Accrington striker Terry Gornell’s 20-yard effort taking a vicious deflection and wrong-footing recalled goalkeeper Ben Smith on 47 minutes was a major hammer blow.

But Town dug deep into their reserves and responded with a success which sees them back in the play-off positions ahead of Saturday’s mouth-watering visit of League Two leaders Chesterfield.

Crucially, Accrington’s lead was to last just four minutes before James Collins produced part one of his timely double.

If Collins’ opener was to highlight an aerial prowess – rising to meet an in-swinging corner from the impressive Steve Leslie – his second on 71 minutes proved a classy, clinical finish.

Tom Bradshaw’s inch perfect through ball found Mark Wright in an offside position against Accrington’s high defensive line.

But the winger cleverly ignored the ball, allowing the onside Collins to run from deep and race clear on the goal of Ian Dunbavin before deftly chipping the former Town stopper.

Wright was then to earn his reward seven minutes from time when he rifled home his 11th goal of the season from 15 yards after a smart break from Kevin McIntyre and Bradhsaw.

Town could have added to their tally, most notably when Bradshaw headed a cross from Leslie over before a hat-trick seeking drive from Collins was only fractionally too high.

While the visitors’ second half display brought a deserved triumph, they also had to be alert defensively with Smith grasping his chance after being recalled at the expense of Chris Neal.

The former Doncaster man’s first league action since August yielded an excellent one-handed stop from Gornell as the first half drew to a close.

Smith was also to produce a trio of smart stops in the last 15 minutes, the pick of which came when he tipped a rasping drive from substitute Rory Boulding on to the bar.

By that stage, Shrewsbury had their noses in front and, on a night when on-loan defender Jermaine Grandison made a pleasing debut in an unaccustomed right-back position, it was difficult to identify a weak leak in the visitors’ ranks.

It will take a similar effort to make it back-to-back League Two wins against Chesterfield on Saturday – but Town are back on track.

By JAMES GARRISON