Matt Cox praised for key interventions as Shrewsbury Town secure safety

The 22-year-old has started every game under boss Gavin Cowan since his arrival in late January, playing a key role in the victory over Oldham Athletic.

The Brentford loanee has produced a string of superb stops since joining in the mid-season window, including more heroics last weekend - notably a brilliant full-stretch save to deny Kane Drummond.

Cowan had a perfect view of that intervention from the dugout and praised the goalkeeper’s contribution.

“We want our goalkeeper to be playing his part,” he said.

“It's a great save from him. I was right behind it and it's a top, top save.

“But with a little bit more quality we could have scored a few more goals as well. So brilliant all-round from the lads.”

In 17 appearances since joining in January, Cox has made 54 saves, boasting a 73 per cent save rate.

Salop have conceded 20 goals with Cox in the side, collecting 25 of their 47 points under Cowan to move clear of danger.

Speaking ahead of the Oldham clash, Cowan maintained there is still room for improvement for the young goalkeeper.

“There's elements of his game that he definitely needs to improve, but some of those highlight reels will be good for him,” he said.

“He's certainly a brilliant shot-stopper with excellent reflexes. But he'll know, and I spoke to him, about areas in his game that he needs to improve on.

“Very much like a lot of the players, he's impressed in a big way. But equally there's room for improvement.”

Cox began his career at Chelsea and had a spell with AFC Wimbledon before joining Brentford in 2021. He has since been named on the bench 31 times for the Premier League side without making a senior appearance.

The London-born goalkeeper spent the 2022/23 season on loan at Bristol Rovers, making 34 appearances, and has represented England at under-17, under-19 and under-20 levels.