What a month February is turning out to be for Shrewsbury Town.

Just two weeks have passed and Town have collected 12 points from four successive games to soar into second spot in the table.

Stevenage were the latest side to be beaten by a resurgent Shrewsbury who seem to be hitting their straps at just the right time.

Nicky Wroe’s composed finish was enough for Town to make it four in a row but it was far from easy for Graham Turner’s men.

On the eve of Valentine’s Day there were plenty of heart-stopping moments for Town in the closing stages as Stevenage surged forward in search of an equaliser, but in the end it was the hosts who emerged smelling of roses.

In a frantic finale the visitors missed several chances to level as they piled on the pressure aided by a generous helping of stoppage time from the officials.

In the final moments of normal time Ian Sharps survived a penalty claim against Stevenage’s record signing Craig Reid but it was in added time that the real fun and games began.

First Jermaine Grandison executed a superb block tackle on Reid when it looked as though the forward was about to level before, in the same breathless move, Shane Cansdell-Sherriff got in a vital block to a Mark Roberts effort.

The Australian had dawdled on the edge of the box to allow the chance but his goal-saving tackle summed up the commitment and desire shown by Town throughout the 90 minutes.

The carnage of the last few moments had seemed a long way off in an insipid opening half lit only by Wroe’s moment of magic.

The midfielder had been the best player on the park in the opening 45 minutes and represents a snip of a signing at £10,000 from Torquay united.

He had played with his head up throughout the first half, rarely wasteful in possession and a real threat going forward.

He had already gone close twice when in space on the edge of the box after escaping the Stevenage marking.

It was a warning the visitor’s did not heed when the midfielder broke forward again seven minutes before the break in support of a flying Lionel Ainsworth.

And the former Torquay man was on hand to steer an immaculate volley into the far corner after Ainsworth’s initial shot had been blocked.

It was a goal that proved enough to win the game despite the valiant late efforts of the visitors.

Graham Westley’s men were the better side in the second half and came close to levelling just four minutes in when Rob Sinclair’s cross found Chris Beardsley at the far post but the midfielder couldn’t hit the target.

Sinclair was coming into the game more and more as space opened up and forced a good save from Ben Smith midway through the half.

Moments earlier Town almost doubled their advantage when Cansdell-Sherriff saw his header come back off the bar.

Jon Taylor, lively throughout on the right hand side and a constant threat with his delivery from set pieces, sent over a free kick and the Aussie defender found himself in space in the penalty area only for the woodwork to deny him.

That was the last real chance for Town who were forced to defend for the final quarter.

Mat Sadler blocked a Reid effort after a perfect Sinclair pass as the visitor’s began to up the ante.

Substitute Luke Daley came close to a late leveller but lashed his right footed effort wide of Ben Smith’s left hand post.

But the Town rearguard stood firm and when referee Gary Sutton finally blew his whistle the relief around the ground was palpable.

In the land of the old football cliché Town boss Graham Turner described the result as ‘winning ugly.’

But it’s the winning that counts.

Match analysis by ALEX JAMES