Shrewsbury Town boss Graham Turner today threw down the Christmas gauntlet to his promotion-chasing squad by targeting seven points from their three festive games.

Town’s three games over the holiday period begin with the much-anticipated Boxing Day trip to Cheltenham which sees the teams currently third and fourth in League Two going head-to-head.

They then head to Bradford on New Year’s Eve before their only home game of the festive season at home to Northampton on January 2.

Turner believes two victories and a draw from that trio of games is a realisatic ambition for his side.

“I would settle for seven points from those three matches,” said Turner.

“They won’t be easy games and sometimes during the festive period you do get surprise results.

“Who could have forseen Bradford winning at Southend last Friday night?

“We just have to make sure those surprises don’t happen to us.”

Turner was delighted to see his side return to winning ways last Saturday with a 1-0 triumph over Macclesfield providing an instant response to the defeat by the same scoreline seven days earlier.

And Turner is hoping that can prove the catalyst for another lengthy run of games without defeat.

“It’s important to get another unbeaten run on the go again,” said the Town boss.

“We were eight unbeaten prior to the Aldershot match and it will be nice to go another eight games unbeaten,” he added.

“That means going to places like Cheltenham and getting the right result.

“It’s important we keep in touch with those three teams above us and it will do our confidence the world of good if we can get the right result at Cheltenham.”

Town look set to be backed by a capacity away following at Whaddon Road.

More than 900 tickets had been snapped at start of trading this morning, with the final 100 available until 6pm tonight.