Jamie Tolley: What a turnaround - belief is back at Shrewsbury Town

What a fantastic win to finally put the relegation battle discussion to bed. With three games to spare, it just shows what a magnificent job Gavin, Jamie and Dave have done since coming into the football club in January.

The turnaround has been remarkable. You can see, just by watching the team, the improvements that have been made - the little tweaks throughout, the cohesion, and the tactical discipline they’ve shown.

Especially in that first-half display last weekend, the patterns of play they are now producing from the training ground into matches are clear to see.

There is a real belief running through the team, which is brilliant to see, and the fans are now buying into that too. There’s a genuine sense of optimism and excitement building towards next season. All in all, it was a really positive weekend.

You can now count the number of good teams who have come to the Meadow and been beaten by Salop. Opponents are arriving at the Meadow and they are fearful, knowing they are in for a game.

Shrewsbury have done brilliantly in that regard since the new management team came in. They are making the Meadow a really difficult place to come. That’s another promotion-chasing side ticked off.

There’s a sense now that when you come to the ground, there is real optimism and belief, and everyone feels that little bit more connected with the players.

The players and management are clearly aligned and singing from the same hymn sheet, which helps massively, and you can feel that connection with the fans too.

I went for a couple of pints with Sam Aiston and Gavin after the game - we stopped at a pub not far from the ground and there were a few fans in there who came over for a chat. That’s what Shrewsbury Town is about - that real connectivity between the club, the fans, and the town.

For the goal, the build-up came from hard work on the training ground and the patterns of play they work on, which earned them the free-kick.

Then Taylor Perry picks up the second ball - something we’ve spoken about so often and how important those moments are. He helps recycle it back into the box, and then Will Boyle has everything to do, producing a fantastic header.

The way he generates power and accuracy from a looping ball back into the area was superb.

Elsewhere, I thought Will Gray was outstanding on his first start. I was really looking forward to seeing him play.

There has been a lot of talk about him breaking into the team as such a young player, and I can relate to that - making my debut at 16-years-old and knowing what a big occasion it is, especially as a local lad.

Your family, your friends are there, and everyone is watching you. He went out and was so composed. The bravery he showed in the first half - his early tackle before then bringing the ball down on his knee and playing the simple pass to keep Shrewsbury building from the back - was excellent.

We’ve seen this season that other players might have just cleared it long, and nine times out of 10 it would have come straight back. That bravery for such a young player was outstanding and it lifted the whole team.

I thought Taylor Perry also picked up on that, producing arguably one of his best performances since I’ve been watching Shrewsbury.

With safety secured, there is now a great opportunity to give minutes to the likes of Isaac England and Isaac Lee, and see how they fit into what the manager is trying to build, especially in front of what should be good crowds in the final three games.

There is no pressure on Salop now in terms of league position. That said, there is still pressure in other ways - contracts, competition for places, and wanting to impress the manager.

Ultimately, everyone wants the shirt, everyone wants to perform, and everyone wants to be in the manager’s plans. So there is still that professional pressure, but without the weight of relegation, it could lead to some really positive performances.