Crunch time is fast approaching for Shrewsbury Town – and Graham Turner’s squad could scarcely be in better shape.

In clinically dispatching Macclesfield at the Greenhous Meadow on Saturday, Town reinforced the view that they may just be peaking when it matters most.

And it has left their supporters daring to believe a long overdue promotion could be looming on the horizon.

Turner is far too long in the tooth to allow either himself or his players to contemplate what they might achieve come 5pm on May 7.

And, on the evidence of Saturday’s action, Bury, Wycombe – and possibly a member of the chasing pack bunching in behind — will push Shrewsbury every step of the way in this pulsating race for second and third spots.

But, even allowing for two ultimately doomed play-off campaigns, it has undoubtedly been some time since Town reached this stage of the season with the possibilities quite as mouth-watering.

The victory over Macclesfield capped the perfect week for Shrewsbury, a maximum return of nine points accompanied by a hat-trick of encouraging displays to boot.

Having overcome the challenges of Bradford and Rotherham on the road, a home clash with Macclesfield represented the type of banana skin so many Town teams of the past have slipped on.

But the vintage of 2011 made no such mistake, even allowing for the jolt of falling a goal behind inside 19 minutes.

And they achieved what was only a third home victory in 11 attempts with something to spare to offer ever-growing belief for the nerve-jangling assignments which lie ahead.

Not that the early stages against Macclesfield quite went to plan, a slightly sluggish start for Shrewsbury penalised by a well struck 25-yard free-kick from Hamza Bencherif which appeared to take a slight deflection before fizzing its way past Ben Smith and into the top corner.

But the immediate riposte provided by Jon Taylor’s sixth goal of the season settled the hosts, providing a spark from which they would never look back.

Macclesfield will wonder how, so soon after taking the lead, they left themselves so short-handed at the back that defender Shaun Brisley had to cope with four on-rushing Town attackers.

But Taylor displayed the confidence to go alone, skipping past Brisley before drilling into the corner from 20 yards.

Illness was to restrict Taylor’s participation to under a half but his replacement proved more than an able deputy in a second period in which Town truly excelled.

The inconsistency of Lionel Ainsworth remains a frustrating feature of his game but when he is on song, he is an undoubted handful for opponents.

His double strike which put this game to bed came as Town monopolised possession, shifting the ball with pace and precision.

Ainsworth’s first and Shrewsbury’s second was to arrive on 67 minutes, a deep cross by willing worker James Collins kept alive by Mark Wright and Nicky Wroe before a neat finish from 18 yards.

And Ainsworth was to eclipse that effort three minutes later, thumping a 20-yard drive into the roof of the net to give Town breathing space after another Collins cross had only been half cleared by Macclesfield.

Further Shrewsbury goals could have followed with Collins and Wright both denied by saves from impressive Macclesfield goalkeeper Jose Veiga.

But there was still time for late gloss to be applied when Ainsworth’s fellow substitute Matt Harrold produced an angled 18 yard drive to complete a flowing move and a fine afternoon for Town.

The business end of the season has very much arrived. And it appears as the going gets tough, Shrewsbury Town are very much getting going.

Match analysis by JAMES GARRISON