First pumps and first points: Gavin Cowan off the mark as Shrewsbury Town claim vital six-pointer

His emphasis has been on desire, fight and playing for the badge, and Salop did just that in a crucial six-pointer at the bottom of League Two.

Shrewsbury moved five points clear of the drop zone with the win and will take a huge confidence boost into two further home matches.

Here are the key talking points:

When it matters

There was no escaping the significance of Barrow’s visit. The Bluebirds were a point and a place above Town in the table ahead of the clash.

There were jubilant scenes at the final whistle as Cowan celebrated his first win since taking the reins.

While they have struggled on the road, the Meadow has been something of a fortress for Salop this season - 20 of their 26 points have come on home soil.

Barrow’s visit carried similarities to other crucial six-pointers at the Meadow, including the battling displays against Crawley Town, Newport County and Harrogate Town, as well as Cowan’s first game in charge against Barnet.

Salop took the lead and showed resilience to hold on. It did not matter how the win came on Tuesday evening, only that it did. Their home form will be crucial in retaining their Football League status.

Changes

Kevin Berkoe was handed his first start for Salop and impressed on the left flank. As Cowan referenced, there were moments to improve, but overall it was an encouraging display.

The new arrival looked composed on the ball, showed good vision and passing ability, and posed a threat. There were strong appeals for a foul on Berkoe inside the box waved away in the first half as defenders struggled to cope with his movement.

Cowan made four changes in total, bringing Taylor Perry and Tom Sang into midfield, with Sam Clucas absent through injury. The pair battled hard, adding resilience while still offering creativity going forward.

Iwan Morgan was a creative spark and continues to wait for his first Salop goal. It feels only a matter of time - another impressive showing.

Trey Ogunsuyi was named among the substitutes but did not feature, alongside fellow young recruits Isaac Lee and Temple Ojinnaka. It appears they may have to wait for their opportunities as Cowan leans towards experience in this fight for survival.

Marquis

John Marquis nearly gave Salop the lead inside the opening minutes, heading narrowly wide from an inviting cross.

He was then forced off inside the first 15 minutes after suffering a knock to the knee. It came just days after he and his wife welcomed a baby girl. Cowan revealed he had tried to talk Marquis out of playing due to a lack of rest, but the striker was determined to feature.

Town will assess his injury to determine how long he could be sidelined.

Progression

The win marked clear progression under Cowan. In his first match against Barnet, Town spent much of the game camped in their own half and sitting deep - understandable given the circumstances.

Here, they were more industrious and showed greater attacking intent. While it had the feel of a bottom-of-the-table clash at times, Salop demonstrated signs of growth and belief.

There is room for further improvement as more time is spent on the training pitch. The challenge now is to carry this momentum - three home games unbeaten - into tough tests against Swindon Town and Notts County.

Pick up points in those fixtures and the turnaround will be firmly underway, with survival hopes significantly strengthened.