Shrewsbury look for a 'John Aldridge'

The Town boss played with legendary goalscorer Aldridge at Tranmere in the 1990s. Aldridge's career total of 476 goals is a record in post-war English football.

Shrewsbury have netted just three times in the last five games and Mellon wants his players to show the same cunning as 'Aldo' did for Newport County, Oxford, Liverpool and Tranmere.

Mellon said: "I used to ask John 'how do you score so many goals?' He told me 'if the ball doesn't go in the net, who usually gets it?' I said 'the goalkeeper'.

"He said when someone shot, he got in front of the goalkeeper because the ball usually went to him, so he'd try to get a touch before him as there's about 10 goals a season to be had there.

"He said 'then I get across the line between the crosser and the goalkeeper at the near post, because there are another 10 goals to be had there.'

"Every time the ball went into the box, he made that run. I tell our strikers that and, if we do that, results will change."

Town made the opposition's penalty area more times than any other this season in Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Swindon, but failed to create clear-cut chances.

Mellon said: "We outdid the number of 18-yard box entries we've had in any game this season. But somebody's getting on the end of them – their defenders or their goalkeeper.

"So if there's a centre-half heading it all the time, we need to be there before him because, if we do, I'm sure things will change.

"I could show people four balls where the goalkeeper took them at knee height."

Meanwhile, Town's players will be training on Christmas Day as they prepare for the Boxing Day visit of Fleetwood.

Mellon said: "We'll probably come in earlier, so the lads can get back to their families. It's important, because we have a game the next day so we expect that.

"We don't mind and we'll just prepare for the Fleetwood game."