"That would be my challenge to them" - Shrewsbury Town v Crawley Town preview
Michael Appleton finally has the Croud Meadow win he has been craving for months - now it is up to Shrewsbury Town to back that up.
Salop lifted themselves out of the relegation zone up to 22nd with a 2-0 victory over Cambridge United last weekend, and can climb even further tomorrow when they host 21st-placed Crawley Town.
Striker George Lloyd was restored to the starting line-up for the first time since August and played a starring role in Town's first home win since February 1 - and Appleton has urged his forwards to keep banging in the goals so they do not have to wait as long for the next.
"I want them to score goals - that would be my challenge to them," said Appleton, who relegated captain John Marquis to the bench against Cambridge and this week sent Callum Stewart out on loan to Brackley Town. "The one thing that we have been really poor on, there's no hiding away from it, is conversion rate.
"In terms of shots in games, we're pretty decent to be fair. We're in the top half of the table when it comes to shots at goal.
"It's the conversion rate from getting a shot away to getting a shot on target and then obviously you're shots on targets to turning them into goals. They're the bits that we have to be better at.
"I think those boys are aware of that and it's not just them, it's a collective because we get wing-backs in good areas of the pitch where we get opportunities, we get some of the midfield players in there.
"Our conversion rate from shots to shots on target and shots on target to goals has to be better and that's the challenge that I give them."
Shrewsbury are expected to be unchanged from Saturday's crucial victory - and, if they are, that will mean Taylor Perry racking up his 100th appearance for the blue and amber.
It has been a tough two-and-a-bit years for Perry since joining in the summer of 2023 following a successful trial after his exit from boyhood club Wolves.
He is already playing under his fourth different manager, having been given his debut by Matt Taylor, and despite being just 24 years of age feels he has gown up a lot.
"I felt when I was on loan (at Cheltenham in 2021), I didn't have many games," he said. "It was my first experience in men's football. So obviously now I think I've matured a lot since I've been here.
"Obviously, with the amount of games, it comes natural really, which I'm proud about, to be honest. And hopefully I can just take down the pitch. And like I said, the better I play and the better the team plays, it's better for the club."
He added: "Football is a tough game. When you're younger, you've got all these aspirations to make it to the top level.
"But even making it as a professional footballer in the Football League is a tough thing to do. I always want to keep improving and keep getting better. And I will never stop until I've reached my potential, really."
Opponents Crawley Town have not won any of their last four league games, but gained a creditable draw against table-topping Walsall last weekend.
