Shrewsbury Town's Josh Davison: Strike partnership a welcome new experience

For Shrewsbury Town ace Josh Davison a strike partnership is an unusual experience.

A front two has not been common in the modern age of the lone striker and ‘wide forwards’.

Whenever the 4-4-2 - or Gavin Cowan’s case a 3-5-2 - is on show it takes supporters back to the days of a previous era.

That is exemplified by in-form Town frontman Davison, who at 27 has been a professional for the best part of a decade, but the experience of a regular partnership is something new.

He and Shrewsbury partner George Lloyd have ran opposition defences dogged over recent weeks as the pair chimed as a pairing.

"It's a new partnership for me,” Davison admitted. “I've never really played in a partnership, as such. I've usually always been a 'one'.

"To have a relationship with someone that will run with me and we're quite similar in that aspect.”

Summer signing Davison, a former Tranmere, Cheltenham and AFC Wimbledon centre-forward, has impressed in recent League Two fixtures and doubled his goal tally for the season to four in last week’s win at Crawley, before another effort in the 3-3 draw in Rotherham on Saturday.

His resurgence has tallied with fellow tireless frontman Lloyd, who is into his third season at Croud Meadow and has recent goals against Crewe, Grimsby, Bristol Rovers and Crawley.

Lloyd injured his neck at Rotherham at the weekend but it is hoped he will be fit and firing to face Gillingham this Saturday.

"We're both quite dogged up there,” London-born Davison said of his colleague. “I think we both feed off each other's energy.

"I don't have to be the one that just competes and does the hard yards. I know for a fact he's going to do if not a bit more.

"So that's good, we're always sharing the load up there, out of possession, in possession, I can't imagine it's nice for defenders having to play against us.”

Lloyd, 26, has at times struggled for goals in his Shrewsbury career but is enjoying a rich vein of form.

With four goals, the former Cheltenham man is already one shy of his best return in a season for the club, his debut campaign two years ago.

Davison said: "If the ball's bouncing around in the box I feel like he's going to be there to sniff it out. That can sometimes do for me, if I know my job is to occupy, I know he's going to be spare and more than likely finish it."