Shropshire Star

There is more to come from my Shrewsbury team, says Sam Ricketts

‘This is just the beginning’ – was the message from Shrewsbury boss Sam Ricketts as his side hit the magical 50-point mark to all-but seal League One safety.

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Salop won on the road in the league for the second match running with a convincing 2-0 success at Gillingham, which lifted them into 13th place.

The win, while bringing up a half-century of points – the general yardstick for survival – leaves Shrews six points clear of the bottom four with just four matches to play.

James Bolton and Tyrese Campbell netted for Town just after half-time in a game Ricketts’ men deserved to win as Shrewsbury made it three matches unbeaten and just one defeat in five in their mini-revival.

Ricketts sees the improvements as a start of things to come in his long-term plans for Shrewsbury. He said: “What you’re seeing is your ideas and your beliefs.

“I feel we’re in the very, very infant stages of what I want to do here. What’s really pleasing is seeing these bits come into play now to get the results we are.

“We’re in the infant stage of what I want, how I want to play, to control games. The players have bought into it and we’re getting the results.

“I’m still adamant there’s an awful lot to come, this isn’t the be-all-and-end-all, this has to be the start of something.”

Ricketts and Town can almost secure mathematical safety in the first of their Easter Bank Holiday games, the tough trip to second-placed Barnsley on Friday.

A win, with defeat for the bottom four, would open up a nine-point gap with three matches to go. Town’s goal difference is significantly better than those sides occupying the bottom positions.

Asked if he was anywhere near relaxing, Ricketts replied: “Not yet, I’ll relax when it’s mathematically done.

“Up until then you can’t let off, you don’t know what’s going to happen.”

"Fifty points – is it enough, is it not? I don’t know.

“All I know is we’ll be going out next week to get some more.”

Town hope the injury to striker Aaron Amadi-Holloway, that forced him out of the matchday squad at Gillingham, isn’t serious.

Ricketts revealed a niggling injury worsened in training last Friday and the Welshman felt no improvement on Saturday.