Gavin Cowan admits he doesn’t want the season to end at Shrewsbury Town

It has been an incredible three months or so in the job for Cowan and his coaching team, leading Town clear of danger and securing their Football League status.

Of their eight wins from 17 games in charge, five have come on home soil. Of their six clean sheets, four have also come at the Croud Meadow.

Home attendances have risen during the revival under Cowan, with several afternoons and evenings ending in jubilant celebrations in front of the Town faithful. But this weekend sees the curtain fall on their home campaign.

Just two matches remain in the season - but for Cowan, he would prefer it to continue beyond that.

The foundations are now in place, and Cowan is determined not to let that progress stall.

The closing weeks of the season provide a valuable opportunity for the Town boss to assess his squad in competitive action, with decisions to be made over who forms part of his plans for the summer rebuild and next season. It is a crucial period for both players and staff as preparations for the new campaign begin.

With just two games remaining, and following last weekend’s hard-fought goalless draw at Crawley Town where Town defended resolutely away from home, Cowan has issued a quality-focused message ahead of the final home fixture.

Asked about his record so far, Cowan said: “Yeah, not bad, not bad. In there, though, we understand that we need to have better quality.

“We know that the lads’ attitude and application, their commitment to our process has been…our saying is ‘trust the process’.

“It's their commitment to that has been second to none. But they know they need to have more quality.

“I almost don't want the season to finish because the longer we have them, the more it becomes part of their flow state.

“You see some of them in there, they're not having to think about what we want to do anymore. It just happens.

“That's taken a bit of time. But no, I'm really, really, really pleased to just get us over the line.

“On a day like today, it's important that we recognise the job that we've done.”

With Shrewsbury’s safety already secured, Cowan made just one change for the trip to Crawley, handing Isaac Lee a debut - and the defender more than justified his selection with a composed and impressive performance in the back three, putting himself firmly in contention to keep his place.

Will Gray also retained his spot for a second start and once again delivered a commanding display in midfield.

Luca Hoole remained sidelined, though Cowan had previously hinted he could yet feature before the end of the season - potentially even this weekend - a prospect that would be welcomed by the home supporters given his consistent performances this term.

There was also a boost with Tom Sang returning from injury off the bench last weekend, adding another selection option for Cowan as he weighs up his team for the final two matches.

This weekend’s fixture could also represent the final appearance at the Croud Meadow for several members of the squad, with a summer rebuild on the horizon and key decisions looming over who stays and who moves on.

When the sides met in November, Shrewsbury were beaten 3-1. However, that remains one of only two defeats in their last seven meetings with Fleetwood.