Shrewsbury Town debrief - Salop show resilience on the road as upturn continues

Salop battled back to secure a valiant and impressive point at League Two leaders Walsall last Saturday as they continue their recent upturn in form.

Although it was their third consecutive draw, the wider picture shows clear progression. Shrewsbury are now unbeaten in four matches in all competitions and have lost just two of their last 10 league outings.

Despite this, they remain only two points clear of the relegation zone. However, judging by recent performances and results, there is plenty to be encouraged by and optimistic about.

Here are the main talking points from Shrewsbury Town's draw at Walsall last weekend. 

Class on the counter

It was impressive that Shrewsbury were able to match - and at times even look like they deserved more against - the table-toppers.

Manager Michael Appleton had urged his side to be aggressive while defending resiliently. It was always likely to be a case of restricting Walsall and looking to break quickly to cause problems.

Shrewsbury were excellent on the counter, moving the ball quickly and creating multiple opportunities for the Walsall defence. This has been a feature of games so far this season, with the likes of Anthony Scully and Ismael Kabia bursting down the flanks and racing away from opposition defenders.

This style of play may be key to turning Shrewsbury's away form around, where they have been less fruitful.

Response to going behind

Salop fell behind after just four minutes when Daniel Kanu put Walsall ahead. Yet this early setback did not deter Shrewsbury.

As Tom Anderson suggested, it could have been the start of a long afternoon where they crumbled and suffered a heavy defeat. Instead, Shrewsbury settled, caused problems on the flanks, and looked determined to get back into the game.

Their efforts were rewarded in the second half when Anderson scored his first goal in Salop colours. The defender praised John Marquis and George Lloyd for their work rate, highlighting how the team defended from the front - a togetherness and effort that has underpinned their recent good form.

Calm under pressure 

Shrewsbury Town showed great composure under intense pressure as they earned a hard-fought draw.

The visitors played with confidence, effectively playing out of the press against arguably the best side in the division.

Walsall applied sustained pressure after the leveller and launched several promising attacks. In the final 10 minutes, Walsall unleashed wave after wave of attacks, but Shrewsbury defended brilliantly to preserve the point.

Only one substitute 

Michael Appleton made just one change late in the game, bringing on Tommy McDermott for Taylor Perry in the 83rd minute.

The minimal use of the bench raises the questions - was Appleton simply very satisfied with how the team was performing, or did he feel that the available substitutes could not provide a significant boost? 

With the January transfer window rapidly approaching, Appleton will soon have the chance to strengthen his squad and add reinforcements.

Confidence booster

The draw also provides a valuable confidence boost for Shrewsbury's away form. It marked only their sixth point earned on the road this season, but they have now collected three draws from their past five away league games, in addition to a 3-1 win at Barnet in September.

The result at Walsall could serve as a platform for further improvement in their performances away from the Meadow.