Verdict: Shrewsbury Town must rediscover that winning feeling

And Shrewsbury Town’s winless league run of eight games over some six weeks is a concern – and will become more of a worry if not ended against Accrington Stanley tomorrow night.

Saturday’s visit of MK Dons, the first of two home clashes as Town returned to the bread and butter of League One following their FA Cup adventures, was seen as a big opportunity to end a difficult run of league form.

Sam Ricketts’ men, keen to put the Liverpool disappointment behind them and kick on, did not quite do enough to merit the three points against an improving MK Dons and were pegged back late on.

Shrewsbury must keep their heads and remain focused if they are to break out of this rut.

The first victory will be the toughest. They must get over the line by any means necessary. They have to remember how to win – and get used, again, to the feeling of winning.

It is like muscle memory. Having that ingrained know-how and that, as a team, Town have the ability to see out matches and collect three points. Before the current run they had won eight of 20 league games, that is 40 per cent.

So Shrewsbury must work on their confidence and belief, which ultimately are suffering at the moment owing to the lack of victories, and put everything into getting that crucial first three points that will get them back up and running.

Town certainly have players who are capable of picking up positive results on a regular basis, but they need to believe they are good enough again.

A lot of that will come from behind the scenes and is the job of Ricketts, Graham Barrow, Jon Pitts and all the backroom staff to unlock.

Salop looked to be on their way to ending the winless run when Omar Beckles guided a laser missile into the top corner, over the retreating Dons defenders just after the hour mark on Saturday.

But Town never looked totally convinced they were going to see off the visitors, who have the second-poorest away record in the division, and claim a much-needed three points.

And that was the case when, with 13 minutes left, an individual error from Beckles, who attempted to dribble out from the back, cost Ricketts’ men. Josh Laurent’s slip allowed Sam Nombe to shoot and stand-in goalkeeper Joe Murphy could only palm the ball into the path of Rhys Healey, who fired home.

After that, it was anyone’s afternoon. Shrewsbury had done enough to merit the points, certainly they worked enough presentable openings when the game became stretched late on but often – like a version of Groundhog Day – they too often lacked conviction in the final pass or shot.

But Russell Martin’s visitors were left feeling more hard done by after twice striking the woodwork during the closing stages – to go with Louis Thompson’s first-half strike that cracked the post.

Shrewsbury, with 17 efforts on goal (to the Dons’ 16) and eight on target, were more effective as an attacking force and that will come as some consolation to Ricketts and some supporters.

In the trip to Rochdale seven days prior, where they were hit by a late sickener and left empty-handed, they were comfortably the better side. Now Shrews have played reasonably well for two league games, albeit they only have a point to show for it.

But, with encouraging options in their front three, where home debutant Conor McAleny caught the eye behind Jason Cummings and Daniel Udoh – with Callum Lang impressing as a substitute – Town look a far livelier prospect going forward than they did earlier in a season of few goals.

But they still lack the killer touch that is going to put opponents to bed and see them pull away by more than one clear goal.

Town’s concerns also lie at the other end of the pitch. As much of a problem as the eight-game winless run is the similar eight-match run without a league clean sheet.

Shrewsbury have gone from a watertight side capable of keeping opposition out and taking the spoils by the odd goal, to struggling for a shutout.

When Town, a side built on their strengths at the back where they focus on staying solid, are not managing clean sheets then they are making life tough for themselves.

Ricketts’ back three, often flanked by defensive-minded wing-backs to make them a back five, have lost that conviction that they are going to stop opponents.

Earlier in the campaign it felt like Shrews would achieve a clean sheet every time they set foot on the pitch.

It may be the case that, while Town have been trying to unlock the formula of how to improve going forward and increase their goal tally, they have forgotten the basics that put them on the fringes of a top half and play-off spot.

Murmurs of discontent and frustration from supporters could be heard from Montgomery Waters Meadow on Saturday and they will only clear with a positive result against Stanley – who had a free weekend as they were due to face Bury.

Ricketts has made big points about his side’s fatigue. They have been busy since Christmas and mental tiredness, in particular, following the Cup run is clear.

But the boss has a squad to select from and he is certainly rotating. There have been big changes across the last three league games, including six for Saturday’s game, and more could well follow tomorrow evening.

Decent performances from McAleny, Udoh, Lang and Beckles against Dons will give the boss confidence that he has some individuals finding form.

But Ricketts needs to find a winning formula – and sharpish – because if the run of no success stretches to nine games and beyond then confidence will only wane further on the pitch and in the stands.