Gavin Cowan wants winning habit as Shrewsbury Town face relegation-threatened Crawley Town

Like the final days of a school term, or the period after exams, Salop head into their last three games of the season relatively free of pressure.

Yet, as Cowan stressed, there is still plenty to play for and prove as attention turns towards the summer rebuild and what lies ahead.

With safety secured and no threat of relegation looming, Town can play with freedom - something that could well show on the pitch. It would be no surprise to see changes to the side either, with opportunities for others to stake their claim.

Will Gray impressed on his first start for the club against Oldham Athletic last weekend and has made a strong case for a midfield place.

Fellow academy product Isaac England could also come into contention, alongside defender Isaac Lee, who has featured on the bench several times but is still awaiting his debut.

That leaves Cowan with plenty to consider. Reflecting on his time at Salop so far - a period that has brought clear progress - he emphasised the importance of understanding what it means to represent the club during a fight for survival.

“It was hard for me to leave Brackley, because it was like leaving primary school to go to secondary school,” Cowan said.

“You don't want to do it but you know you have to. When I came in here I knew it was a tall order, because it wasn't just being two points clear of relegation, it was the momentum of the club.

“There was a bit of toxicity in it, just because when you're losing games, people normally point fingers instead of looking from within.

“On my first day in training I realised that the job was going to be a lot bigger than I thought.

“The players have shown that they're more than capable. They’ve got the conditioning.

“It's a mentality thing and that's what this football club now has to change. We have to change the mentality.

“We can't just all of a sudden muster up more money to go and put into the budget. However, what we can do is we can change that mentality and realise that we're Shrewsbury Town, which to me and in my heart is a huge club at the level.

“People should be really grateful to be here. A little bit of gratitude around the place will go a long way.”

While Town’s final two matches against Fleetwood Town and Gillingham may appear to be ‘dead rubbers’, Crawley present a similar challenge to recent opponents such as Tranmere Rovers, Bromley and Oldham - sides with plenty still at stake.

But the pressure is firmly on the Red Devils this weekend as they attempt to avoid back-to-back relegations.

Victory over Oldham last time out marked a fifth home win under Cowan, though his side are winless in three away from home. Regardless of the venue, however, his message remains clear.

He said: “We're trying to not get too emotional about the environment of whether it's at home or away, or in the wind or the rain - just get the wins.

“Just get the wins - and they've happened to be at home. But you can't underplay that (home advantage) because, half of it is the fans.”