Shrewsbury’s decade in League One: Micky Mellon’s departure paved the way for Paul Hurst

But before getting that, Hurst had to keep Salop up after a miserable start to the season in the autumn of 2016. 

In the end, Mellon departed by mutual consent with the team 22nd in League One, having won just twice in their opening 11 games of the season. 

The interesting thing, Town’s form was poor, but he went back to Tranmere, with his assistant Mike Jackson, to become their boss in the National League, before he was sacked. 

Midfielder Abu Ogogo went on the record to say the Salop players felt like they had ‘let down’ their former boss, who had been in charge for the last two-and-a-half years and had overseen promotion. 

Shrewsbury then approached Hurst, who was in charge at Grimsby and had won promotion to League Two via the play-offs the season before. He arrived with Chris Doig as his assistant. 

Town were bottom of the league when he was appointed, and they had failed to win in their last 10 matches. 

His first game was away at Southend, where Town got a 1-1 draw, and his first win came in the next match when they beat Oxford 2-0 at home. 

But it was Town’s form throughout January and February that was exemplary and led to their eventual survival. They won six games throughout that two-month period in the 10 matches they played, and they were only beaten twice, meaning they took an average of two points per game. 

It included 1-0 home wins over Bradford and Oldham, a victory at Scunthorpe, as well as triumphs against Bury, Wimbledon and Charlton. 

From then on in Town’s form dipped and they lost four matches on the bounce from mid-March to mid-April. 

Two wins, two draws and a final-day of the season defeat away at Oxford eventually meant Town would survive the drop into League Two. 

They finished 18th in the end, above Chesterfield, Coventry, Swindon and Port Vale - who were all relegated and above Bury and Gillingham, who survived as well. 

There were teams in between them, but the margin was small - just two points. 

Ivan Toney scored six times that season, but Louis Dodds ended up being the top scorer with eight. 

Goalkeeper Jayson Leutwiler and defender Junior Brown were the only players to start more than 40 league games for the club. 

Another player of note to come was Ryan Yates from Nottingham Forest - where he is now captain - he arrived on loan in January and made 12 league appearances. 

In the end, it must be classed as successful for Shrewsbury after their poor start, they kept their third-tier status for another season, even if it was narrowly. 

Hurst had time to get his feet under the table, it had given him a platform to build from, and they went on to have an outstanding campaign the year after.