Gavin Cowan demands response as Shrewsbury Town chase fourth away win
Boss Gavin Cowan has called for a "big reaction" from his Shrewsbury Town players as they look to continue their strong away run.
Shrewsbury visit Bristol Rovers tonight aiming to secure a fourth consecutive away win in League Two.
Salop suffered just their third defeat in 10 games under Cowan last Saturday, having collected 19 points during that run. But the Town boss remains focused on securing safety as soon as possible.
Asked if he would have taken that return, Cowan said: "Yes, of course, because of where we are.
"But we do need to kick on. We do need to solidify it and make sure that we don't get complacent, and we sprint across that finishing line as opposed to jog across it.
"So, yes, I get it. It's been a brilliant month, brilliant six weeks The lads have been really good. But they need to be better.
"They need to be better and they know it, and we need a big reaction on Tuesday."
Salop suffered back-to-back home defeats to Cheltenham Town, which saw their advantage over the relegation zone cut slightly to 12 points.
Midfielder Taylor Perry picked up his 10th yellow card of the season during the loss, meaning he will be suspended for Town.
Shrewsbury have scored seven goals in their past three away matches, with impressive wins at Accrington Stanley, Salford City and Chesterfield.
Cowan admitted the quick turnaround leaves him and his staff little time to prepare - but believes it could help his players respond quickly.
He added: "For me, preparation leaves me very little time. But for the players, absolutely, they need it.
"They need to come back and prove a point, because it's not an easy thing to say when you're a player that you're second best.
"They're not going to enjoy that. I guarantee they'll wake up with that dull ache in the bottom of their stomach.
"That's how it is as a footballer. You wake up the next day and you're really happy to open your eyes and then you feel it in your stomach. Maybe that's what keeps you humble every now and again.
"A defeat like that where you are second best, the players need to show a little bit of humility and come back and be resilient, because that's what we've been good at.
"We need to get back to our core values, back to a way that we know how we play. I'm sure they'll do that."
