Shrewsbury bounced back in Bristol Rovers win despite chaotic finale

It was up to Shrewsbury to go out there, put on a performance against Bristol Rovers, get the three points and move on, which is exactly what they did.

They showed an ability to bounce back from the disappointment of the Exeter City defeat and to get the three points in a chaotic end to the game, which is what proved to be the case with the two red cards, was vitally important.

It was much needed on so many levels. I think of George Lloyd stepping up to take the penalty was needed for him and his confidence, and that can only do really good things going forward for him.

So it was a really good result and it was brilliant to see the fans staying behind after the game to celebrate with the team and it showed real unity.

When I was on commentary at the time, I didn’t think the first incident with Jay Turner-Cooke was a red card. I thought it was a professional foul on Shaq Forde, and in all honesty, a number of us have been crying out for Shrewsbury to manage games a little bit better.

If there is the time to bring someone down then that was it, because Bristol Rovers were in the ascendency going forward and on the break. Having looked back it, he does clip him a little bit high, so I think it could go either way.

The Isaac Fletcher sending off was just a lazy leg. It was clumsy, but by the letter of the law, I suppose he has to be sent off, especially when the referee set the precedent earlier on with Turner-Cooke’s dismissal.

In hindsight, they were avoidable, but Turner-Cooke can feel a little bit hard done by, although Fletcher was probably the correct decision.

Yet they held out and find themselves looking up the table with just one-point separating them from the play-off places.

It’s a fantastic platform where they find themselves at the moment. The league is incredibly tight, even if you look all the way up towards third and fourth-place.

One or two wins back-to-back and suddenly you’re talking about the play-offs and looking up to the top three.

So it’s a great place that Shrewsbury find themselves in. After the game, I had a conversation with Gav Cowan over the phone. We were saying that if you look back over fixtures that Shrewsbury should’ve won performance-wise then you’d be in the top five in League Two.

It’s crazy how tight that the table is right now and it just proves how vital it is that you put back-to-back wins together, and then who knows where we’ll be?

Shrewsbury head into their clash at bottom-place Crawley as massive favourites and so they should. The team and everyone involved with the football club should be feeling that way.

You work hard to put yourself in that position, so turn up with a little bit of arrogance and no fear, and go out there, put on a display and come away with the three points.

The form is strong and Shrewsbury come into this with just one defeat in their last six in League Two - winning three in the process.

It’s vital that the boys continue to believe in themselves and continue this momentum that they seem to be building around the football club with the recent run of results.