Gavin Cowan “on top of the world” as Shrewsbury Town secure League Two safety

Gavin Cowan said he was “on top of the world” after Shrewsbury Town officially secured their Football League status.

Will Boyle’s first-half header sealed consecutive home victories and an eighth win under Cowan, lifting Town 14 points clear of danger and confirming their League Two safety.

Cowan, who took charge with the club just two points above the relegation zone, expressed his delight at the full-time whistle.

Asked how he was feeling, he said: “On top of the world.

“The players, the staff and the supporters all showed what it means to be part of Shrewsbury Town Football Club.

“Moving forward now we do need to make sure that we change the rhetoric that's been within the club.

“It's going to be a big job for me in the summer, but the mentality today was just purely being connected, which I was quite vocal about when I first came into the job.

“But I feel very proud, very proud. We came in with 22 points on the board and we've accumulated 25 in 16 games now. Won half of our games and it's a brilliant achievement from the players and the staff.

“I am very, very, very proud to be a part of it.”

While the result secured Shrewsbury’s Football League status, it also marked the return of former boss Micky Mellon.

Cowan enjoyed victory over his former manager - who coached him at Fleetwood Town - as Salop extended their unbeaten Football League run against Oldham to six games. The visitors had lost just one of their previous 10 matches coming into the contest.

Shrewsbury took the lead on the half-hour mark through Boyle’s excellent header and defended resolutely to secure all three points.

“In the first 20 minutes I felt like we needed to battle,” Cowan added.

“I felt a few of them probably hadn't eased into the game as I'd like them to. But after, with 25 minutes to go in the first half, I thought we were excellent.

“Everything I've been whinging on about in my post-match interviews previously about them being brave and being courageous and trusting it. I just asked them to surrender to our own process today.

“Trust the process. It is part of what we do. When we do it, we get success. So, why don't we do it?

“The back three were really brave in our play-arounds, our outside players. We just got all of our patterns right and it topped us off.

“That's what led to the goal. We ended up getting a free-kick and a ball into the box and we subsequently got the goal.”

Town had to contend with difficult conditions in the second half, battling strong winds and rain, but Cowan praised his side’s determination to see the game out.

He continued: “I asked the players to play for the badge today. More than anything, around all of the detail and the game strategies and all the tactics.

“As a minimum requirement, you've got to run for the badge. You're going to lose football matches from time to time but you've got to go out on your terms. That's what I wanted them to do today.

“Full respect and credit to the players. They gave it everything. To go up against what is obviously a brilliant Oldham team, as everyone could see today, and fight like they did in the second half.”