Comment: Shrewsbury Town's Highs and lows in a roller-coaster season

Inconsistency generally leads to a rollercoaster campaign, full of ups and downs, and while Paul Hurst has remained very level-headed throughout, the 2016/17 has had plenty of twists and turns,

Above are five examples of when things were going well. Occasions where Town seemed on course to clinch their League One status.

But those memorable highs have been twinned with desperate lows. Shrewsbury pre-Hurst were only heading one way – League Two.

The early weeks of Hurst's Town tenure, before the boss grabbed his January additions, was encouraging yet inconsistent.

Highs, including the superb December win at Millwall and Greenhous Meadow successes over Oxford and Bristol Rovers, were matched by a desperate display at Fleetwood before a Christmas rot set in containing losses to Bolton, Rochdale and Fleetwood. But Hurst seemed pleased with where he'd led his side come the start of the window, which promised to be busy.

He never pulled any punches about the squad he inherited. He knew a lot of business had to be carried out, a job that is far from easy in the winter window.

Few could argue with Hurst's January shopping as the new additions, eight in total, joined forces to help Shrews embark on what looked a season-saving run.

What began with a nervy point taken at rivals Swindon became the catalyst for a six-game unbeaten run that, at one point, had Town as high as 16th and top of the division's form charts.

It was never possible to sustain and an up-and-down February turned into a nightmare March.

Fortunately, the miraculous run that preceded it gave Shrewsbury a buffer.

Games against drop-zone rivals Coventry, Chesterfield and Port Vale were supposed to cement Town's security but just two points taken had the club twitching.

April began where March left off, with reversals against Bristol Rovers and Millwall, but Hurst had been encouraged by his team's turnaround in performances and believed the required results were just around the corner.

Supporters were understandably concerned that a dip in form, where it looked the side couldn't buy a win, came at the worst time possible.

Hurst stuck to his guns and it was the turn of Stefan Payne to come to the fore.

The different chapters of Town's 2016/2017 would fill a book but, when it's really counted, the main protagonist has ended up the hero and Hurst needs praise for guiding the side away from danger.