Shrewsbury Town victory ends Martin Allen's Gillingham reign - analysis and match pictures

Midfielder Aaron Wildig revealed that was the statistic delivered by manager Graham Turner ahead of Saturday's high-pressure home clash with lowly Gillingham – the result of which led to the sacking of the Kent club's manager, Martin Allen, last night.

After grabbing their first win in nine matches in all competitions, Shrewsbury are still some way off reaching those heights. But at least they can now start looking up the table after ending a frustrating run of results which was beginning to cast a dark cloud over this season.

The collective relief inside the Greenhous Meadow when Wolves loanee Liam McAlinden coolly wrapped up a 2-0 triumph nine minutes from time was palpable.

This victory could provide the springboard for an ascent of the League One table. The win was well-deserved, too, after a commanding display by Graham Turner's team, which contained a trio of changes from the side that started last weekend's 2-2 draw with Carlisle.

And all three of those changes paid dividends.

Huddersfield loanee Cristian Lopez, one of two new arrivals last week along with McAlinden, got the nod to start up top alongside top-scorer Tom Bradshaw. And Town fans will now be keen to see more of the Spaniard after an industrious display.

The 24-year-old, who has played for Real Madrid and Valencia's B sides, may not have oozed the elaborate continental class associated with those two names. But in keeping things simple, holding the ball up, knocking passes out wide and making well-timed runs into the box, he helped Town boss proceedings in the final third for much of the game.

And he so nearly crowned his debut with a goal after Bradshaw's elaborate backheel put him in on goal three minutes before the break, following good work from midfielders Paul Parry and Ryan Woods. Lopez was thwarted by the reflexes of Gills keeper Stuart Nelson, who did brilliantly to get down low at his right-hand post to turn the striker's low, fizzing drive just wide.

At the back, summer signings Tamika Mkandawire and Dave Winfield also impressed in their first competitive outing together at centre-half. The pair, who arrived from Millwall and Wycombe Wanderers respectively, had been expected to form Turner's first-choice centre-back partnership this season only for injury and then suspension to keep them apart.

Both looked sharp and comfortable together for much of the game, providing a powerful barrier in the heart of a back four that Gillingham struggled to open up.

Winfield, who missed last weekend's game against Carlisle because of a one-match ban, did particularly well in the first half to block a powerful goal-bound effort from Gills midfielder Charlie Lee inside the box. Mkandawire also made an important interception early in the second half while also providing a threat going forward from set-pieces. But Town's first clean sheet in all competitions since August 17 – their last win against Swindon Town – is perhaps the biggest single indication of their success.

It was, though, McAlinden's arrival from the bench with 16 minutes of normal time remaining, that made the biggest wave on Saturday.

The Wolves loanee's calm finish, from Bradshaw's excellent reverse pass on 81 minutes, provided a major breakthrough.

Having shipped late goals in all of their previous four games, and surrendered leads in five of their opening 10 league matches, there was understandable anxiety both in the dugout and the stands entering the final quarter.

Joe Jacobson's excellent headed opener, from Paul Parry's well delivered 16th-minute corner, was all that separated the teams at that stage, with Town having created and missed several other chances to double their advantage.

And the prospect of a late charge from Gillingham, who would have been well aware of their opponents' unenviable habit of conceding late goals, filled the 5,129 crowd with a familiar feeling of dread. But as it turned out, they were instead able to enjoy the dying minutes of the game this time, safe in the knowledge they were all-but home and dry.

In fact, far from looking nervous and retreating deeper into their own half, Town this time looked more likely to grab a third than to concede, with late substitute Adam Reach drawing an acrobatic save from Nelson in the first of a whopping six minutes of stoppage time.

Town also showed a new-found maturity, running the ball into the corners and retaining possession rather than hammering the ball aimlessly forward or giving possession away cheaply as they have been guilty of.

They did have to endure some uncomfortable moments in the game, though, most notably around the 35 minute mark after Woods' late tackle on Cody McDonald handed Lee an inviting free-kick on the edge of the area. Lee's thumping drive appeared to swerve in the air but Shrewsbury shot-stopper Chris Weale did well to parry it away, only for Danny Kedwell to strike the base of the post seconds later with a far post header from Charlie Allen's cross.

Town had already had a number of decent chances to double their lead by this point, the best of which fell to Bradshaw midway through the half. The former Wales Under-21 international exquisitely controlled Jacobson's searching long-range pass before beating defender Callum Davies for pace, only to drag his low shot just wide of the far post from a narrow angle.

Mkandawire also headed just over after another testing Parry corner had caused panic in the Gills defence on the half-hour mark.

It did look as though Town may be made to pay for those misses early in the second half as the game became stretched and the hosts began to concede a number of free-kicks around their own box. But Davies's looping header from Danny Hollands' curling delivery and a header over the bar from Cody McDonald were as close as Allen's side came to levelling.

At the other end, midfielder Jon Taylor twice could have sealed the win for Town, drawing a low save from Nelson and then flicking wide from Wildig's inviting chip into the area.

Wildig also fired over after a great set-up by Bradshaw shortly before McAlinden joined the fray, and Woods hammered a decent effort just wide after a bursting run forward from the back.

McDonald did almost pull a goal back for the visitors – who were riding a two-game winning streak – four minutes from the end of normal time, just failing to connect with second-half substitute Adebayo Akinfenwa's far-post cross.

That chance was a reminder there is still plenty of room for improvement from Turner's youthful side, and one win alone does not mean their previous defensive frailties have necessarily been banished yet. But after so many near-misses, it was vital Shrewsbury grabbed at least one win from their home double header against Carlisle and Gillingham. They must now follow that display up with several more of similar quality if they are to improve on last season and avoid a nerve-jangling relegation scrap.

But with their new additions, Town now seem to have a greater strength in depth – as the presence of previous first-XI mainstays Darren Jones and Adam Reach on the bench will attest.

Town fans can approach the coming weeks with a new sense of optimism.