Shrewsbury Town out to respond and put the Pirates to the sword

After last weekend’s stumble, Shrewsbury Town will be determined to get back on track and send Bristol Rovers packing.

The Pirates arrive at the Meadow looking to plunder three points, but Gavin Cowan’s side will be eager to make them walk the plank.

Town have lacked the cutting edge and ruthlessness to punish opponents at times this season, and that proved costly again last weekend. Bristol Rovers will be ready to capitalise if Salop are anything less than clinical.

After a welcome upturn in results, Shrewsbury faltered on home soil last Saturday and now need a response to get their season back on course.

Cowan oversaw an impressive turnaround last term, but Bristol were among the sides to get the better of his team.

But the Gas have struggled for consistency themselves recently, losing four of their last five games, and will be keen to get back to winning ways.

Cowan will once again look to the experienced professionals in his squad, whom he recently praised for their commitment and willingness to buy into his methods, even when results have been difficult.

“I think I’m very fortunate to have some incredible professionals here who were with me last year and have seen it firsthand,” he said.

“I suppose, the biggest question would have been last year, how do you get a group of players who are underachieving to perform and buy into something?

“Well, did they really have a choice? This year, they’ve got to go all out and do it again.

“There’s complete buying from the players. And that’s credit to them, it’s not credit to me.

“I put it out on the training ground and me and the staff work on making sure we implement what it is I want. It is down to me, my process and how I believe the game should be played. The players have to make a decision.

“This is the credit for them. When things are going well, everybody’s on board. When not so, that’s the mark of a person.

“So they have my full love and respect because even when perhaps at the start of the season the results weren’t quite going our way, they felt it and they knew.”

Bristol Rovers completed a league double over Shrewsbury last season, winning 3-0 at the Meadow courtesy of a Fabrizio Cavegn hat-trick. It was Steve Evans’ first victory in charge of the Pirates, before he led them to another win in the return fixture in March.

The Gas have won nine of the last 20 meetings between the sides and recorded six consecutive clean sheets against Salop, last conceding in a 2-1 defeat at home in May 2023.

Shrewsbury could receive a timely boost, with Michael Golding and Jack Price edging closer to returns.

After last weekend’s defeat, those in the starting line-up will also be keen to respond and strengthen their claims to retain their places.

“It’s not really for me to pick the team, it picks itself,” Cowan explained. “Everybody’s got two eyeballs, everybody can see what’s going on.

“They have to get themselves into the team. It’s up to them to make it as hard as possible for me to pick that team.”