'Put your laces through it!' - Appleton hopes Lloyd’s brace will kickstart goal-scoring run

Lloyd took his tally to three goals for the season with a double in Shrewsbury's 3-3 draw with Gillingham in League Two last Saturday.

The 25-year-old's only other goal so far this season came against Cambridge United in October. Salop boss Appleton has backed Lloyd to add more goals to his name and believes he has the potential to score regularly.

Asked he if he hopes the brace could ignite a goal-scoring run, Appleton said: "I hope that's the case, definitely. He has got the potential to do it. 

"He's someone that, when he doesn't have to think too much, his ability to strike the ball is a lot cleaner. 

"I want him to do that. I think George is one of those players who needs to put his foot through the ball and just concentrate and put his foot through the ball. Then I think his ratio of goals will go up and get better.

"I did have a little bit of a joke with him a few weeks back, obviously in the build-up to the Cambridge game, because I'm telling him to smash it, hit everything, be true. 

"And to be fair, he got a fantastic finish against Cambridge where he slid it past the goalkeeper and I said to him after the game, just ignore anything I say when it comes to finishing, just do what you need to do.

"From what I've seen, when he puts his foot through it, because he's got incredible power when he puts his foot through it, I think that's when you get his best averages up."

Lloyd will look to help Shrewsbury avoid slipping on the potential banana skin of Sutton United in the FA Cup today. 

The Salop boss added: "From a confidence point of view, it (the goals) will do him the world of good. That feel-good factor that you need as a striker.

"And I think the way he took his second goal and our third goal was like a proper striker. First and foremost, he made a fantastic run. Secondly, the accuracy of his finish was something that you'd expect of a striker on the top of his game anyway."