Ollie Westbury debrief: Shrewsbury grinding out results where they can
With the tight nature of League One it is about picking up points where you can – something Shrewsbury have done in their last two games.
The division is incredibly close at the moment, with 10 points separating 10th-placed Charlton and 21st-placed Fleetwood.
On the back of a rotten defeat away at Blackpool, Town have managed to pick up points.
They have not been fluent. They have not been pretty. But they have been resilient in the face of adversity.
The game against Exeter on Tuesday night was an eyesore. It was a game of few chances, but given the way Shrews' away form has been of late and their list of players in the treatment room – it can be considered a good outcome.
Since the win against Derby late in October Town had lost their way defensively. They had conceded 17 goals in just seven games across all competitions – before Saturday's 2-1 win over Port Vale.
Earlier on in the campaign they had shown a real resoluteness and they had been superb defensively – and in the last two games they have shown that again.
Recent fixtures have been kind to them with the form of the oppositions but Town have shown a willingness to put their bodies on the line to keep a clean sheet.
The team is a still work in progress, and without a doubt they will want to have more of the ball, and they will want to keep it better too.
But the last two results, given the context of what they are contending with, it is about as much as you could hope for.
Matt Taylor said before the game against Port Vale that the week had been a chance for a 'reset' with some honest and open conversations.
The initial results from that week on the training ground have been positive with them going back to basics, now they need to maintain it.
It feels like, given where the team is at the moment, we might see more of these backs-to-the-wall defensive displays as Town does not have the personnel available to go chasing the game – if they do then they will undoubtedly run out of steam.
With what they have available to them – the only three forward players Taylor has all started at Exeter and if they are fit you cannot imagine it will be much different against Notts County on Friday evening.
It feels like last season all over again where the same players are going to need to re-group and go again.
One thing is for certain is they need some players back – but at the moment given what they are contending with they are doing OK.
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