Bristol Rovers boss Darrell Clarke believes Shrewsbury's Paul Hurst is manager of the season

Town have shook off their relegation tag to flirt with the front-runners in the third tier this term, sitting in the top two positions for almost five months of the campaign.

Clarke, whose side were swept aside 4-0 at Montgomery Waters Meadow earlier in the campaign, lauded Hurst for his success this season on a modest budget.

The Gas are enjoying some of their best form of a stop-start campaign and are yet to taste defeat in 2018. The Memorial outfit are six games unbeaten and up to 11th.

"I think Paul Hurst is manager of the season so far," said Clarke.

"[They're] One of the teams that are massively over-achieving, a lot of sides in our league are underachieving with the teams that have spent a hell of a lot of money and got nowhere."

Hurst's men, who dropped out of second in League One as Blackburn beat Walsall in midweek, will have to banish the history books to take three points from The Mem.

Shrewsbury have not won a league clash at Bristol Rovers in 18 attempts, dating way back to November 1969 at their former Eastville Stadium home.

Town's only win there since was in the semi-finals of the Football League Trophy in 1996 at Twerton Park.

Clarke added: "He’s one of those in the bracket that’s overachieving and doing great.

"They’re a real tough side to beat, he’s got a good side there. An impressive away record too, it’ll be a tough test."