Gavin Cowan calls for "focus" as Shrewsbury Town look to secure safety

Gavin Cowan says “focus” has been the word of the week at Shrewsbury Town as they look to secure their League Two safety.

Salop welcome play-off-chasing Oldham Athletic - who have suffered just one defeat in their last 10 games - tomorrow, aiming to officially secure their Football League status.

Town boast an 11-point advantage over the relegation zone ahead of the clash, and boss Cowan has urged his side to treat it like any other game.

Asked about his feelings heading into a match that could confirm safety, Cowan said: “Focused. That's the word I've probably used quite a lot.

“I have got a lot of sayings and I repeat them quite a lot, but it's important that we understand our vocabulary within the camp.

“The word focused is certainly the word of the week. We don't want to get emotional about it, we don't want to think about it too much.

“It's another game, we understand the importance, just like any other game. More so than ever, we want to be focused and make sure that we address the task in hand.”

The game will also see the return of former Shrewsbury manager - and now Oldham boss - Micky Mellon, who Cowan played under at Fleetwood Town.

While Cowan was full of praise for Mellon and his side, he hopes Salop can disrupt their play-off push.

He added: “Micky Mellon - an incredible manager, brilliant guy who I've played under, and really supportive of my journey in management as well.

“We know what we're getting. We're going to get a really well-oiled, connected group who are showing this season what they're capable of.

“Aside from tomorrow, I'd love to see the gaffer go on and do it and get promoted with them. - another promotion under his belt, I've got some going to catch him up.

“We'd like to beat them tomorrow and then see them go on and do well for the rest of the season, because they're really good people who deserve it and have shown how good they are over the years.

“It’s a tough task, they're in a great vein of form, but we just want to knock them out of their lane a little bit in order just to get our own agenda sorted.”=