Shrewsbury Town ended a run of four straight losses when they drew 1-1 with Portsmouth on Saturday, continuing a seasonal pattern whereby it has been hard to define Steve Cotterill’s side.
It is not terribly long since Shrewsbury were the form team in the division, winning six consecutive games in January and February. However, since that run, they have won just two from 11.
Those patterns have been prevalent throughout. Prior to the six-game winning run, Salop lost four in a row, and that came off the back of a three-match winning streak.
Argyle will not know which Shrewsbury they are likely to face, but the Greens go into the game having won their last three on the road in Sky Bet League One, the first time they have achieved that feat this season.
Shrewsbury will be without former Argyle loan defender Tom Flanagan, who was sent off in the closing stages of Saturday’s game. Town have been suffering an injury crisis of late, meaning that they had five players on the bench at the weekend with no senior experience of note. The loss of Flanagan will not help on that front, but they will have forward Ryan Bowman available again after a suspension of his own.
Shrewsbury’s top goalscorer this season is experienced defender Luke Leahy. The left-sided 30-year-old, who takes responsibility for penalties and free-kicks, has 11 to his name in all competitions.
When the sides met earlier this season, at Home Park, the Pilgrims emerged victorious, winning 2-1, but it was a close-run thing. The Shrews had the best of the first half, leading 1-0 at the break thanks to a Jordan Shipley goal. In the second period, Argyle turned things around with an equaliser from Niall Ennis and Morgan Whittaker winner with seven minutes to go.
Shrewsbury are managed by Steve Cotterill, who has been in the job since November 2020. He has held managerial positions at various other clubs, usually in the middle two division of the English leagues, with clubs such as Burnley, Portsmouth and Bristol City.
Schumacher Says
"They were really good on the night here. We were frustrated with how they played; they nullified us in the first half. They were quite dangerous on the counter-attack and from set pieces.
“We changed our shape of half-time, and looked a little bit more of a threat. We played with a bit more of a tempo in the second half and managed to get ourselves in front, and get the win. It won't be an easy game. I know there are a little bit stretched on numbers at the moment.
“I think they had six on the bench on Saturday, and a couple of young lads in there. Injuries have taken their toll and maybe affected their play-off push, but we know that the team that started are still quite experienced. They've got some really good players and we're going to have to play well if we want to win it.”
Tickets
Tickets are no longer available to buy from the Home Park Ticket Office, but there will be a pay-on-the-day option at Montgomery Waters Meadow. This facility is CASH ONLY.
A Strip for the Trip
Argyle will be wearing their white away kit for this game.
Argyle TV
The game will be covered on Argyle TV, with commentary from Charlie Price and Aaron Cusack. Both will be on hand for a pre-match show which will be available for free on YouTube from 6.45pm.
The game is available to stream for domestic and overseas supporters.
Click here for more info on Argyle TV and to purchase a match pass.
