Gareth Ainsworth on putting unwanted Shrewsbury Town record to bed

Town won their fourth League One game of the season on Boxing Day against Lincoln City - a result which saw them move off the bottom of the third tier of English football. 

It means Shrewsbury are now six points from safety, with momentum on their side as they prepare for another huge game this weekend against Northampton - the team they are chasing down. 

And Ainsworth believes the Boxing Day win was progress, but he now wants his side to approach their next festive match 'aggressively'. 

"We are not safe or anything," he said. "But it's a step forward, so the boys should think 'You know we can do that - we can do the graft.

"I was really proud of them the other day. And like I say, it's a step forward for Shrewsbury. We are slowly getting points on the board.

"I intend to approach Northampton aggressively. And hopefully, we can get some points in that game too.

"We have Blackpool again on New Year's Day and then Leyton Orient. I think that is three games, we've done one of the four already. And I know there are three games there that we really want to be in.

"We want to be in them and, at times, we want to be the aggressors. But by showing how solid we can be in defence."

Back-to-back wins in League One have eluded Shrewsbury for almost two years. 

But they have another chance to get rid of that unwanted record when the Cobblers come to the Meadow on Sunday. And Ainsworth says they will not shirk the challenge.

"It's so long since the club has had back-to-back wins," he continued. "I'm going to go for it. You know that - I don't know any other way. 

"We are a counter-attacking team. That is what you are when you're down at the bottom of the league. And you can't play fantastic football against everyone else because everyone else has got this confidence and they want to come at you. So we'll find a way - and hopefully, those elusive back-to-back wins will come our way."

Northampton boss Kevin Nolan will be searching for his first win as boss when they visit the Meadow in the huge relegation six-pointer - they were thrashed by Reading on Boxing Day.