'Shuffle the pack' - key calls for depleted Shrewsbury Town at Crawley Town

Gavin Cowan insists there can be no excuses despite the depleted Shrewsbury ranks as they aim to go ‘back-to-back’ against Crawley this evening.

Salop put their recent improved run on the line at League Two’s bottom club who are without a win in seven games, but they do so with several key selection decisions for the manager.

Cowan revealed that key defenders Will Boyle and Sam Stubbs had been struggling in the build-up to Saturday’s win against Bristol Rovers, and will definitely be without the suspended Jay Turner-Cooke and Isaac Fletcher, both of whom saw red against the Pirates.

“It’s tough, isn’t it?” said Cowan. “But this is where, as a manager I have to earn my money, and think about how I am going to shuffle the pack.

“This is where I want to be, and I look at managers like Steve Evans who I went up against on Saturday.

“They have been there, seen it and done it, had big promotions, and have come from moments like what tonight’s game will be.

“If I have half that career I’ll be a happy man, and it’s moments like this that will count for us.

“We’ve got work to do to get players up to speed, and we’ll probably have to have youth team players in the squad.

“But there are no excuses, these are the cards that we have been dealt and the battles that we need to win if we are to have a successful season.”

Tonight’s trip precedes one to a Rotherham side on Saturday who are second bottom in the league, but Cowan is guarding against any threat of complacency.

“It’s going to be tough, and Crawley are a good team,” he said.

“But if we can go back-to-back, we will be right in the mix, so we have got to make sure we focus on ourselves.”