City look to sink struggling Shrews

Fresh from a well-earned point on the road at Reading, Exeter City return to St James Park on Saturday with their sights set on three points against struggling Shrewsbury Town.

The Grecians put in a confident display in midweek, looking solid at the back and dangerous going forward but just missing that final spark to turn one point into three. Now, with the home crowd behind them, they’ll be hoping to make it count against a Shrewsbury side desperate for survival.

City’s first team coach Dan Green saw plenty to be positive about on Tuesday night and believes the team is heading in the right direction.

“I really liked the way the team played on Tuesday, the way the players ran for each other and defended for each other. What stood out was those periods when we had chances, and if we play like that more consistently, that's when results will come,” Green said.

“There is huge potential in individuals and as a collective, but we know Shrewsbury will be an incredibly tough game. If you look at Gareth Ainsworth’s teams in the past and the job he has started to do there, they are all in for him and that will provide a test for us. There is lots to play for at this point in the season, and we are going to look to be at our very best to get maximum points from this game.”

Defender Alex Hartridge was a key part of the rearguard effort at Reading, and while he was pleased with the performance, he knows City need to make it count on Saturday.

“It was a good point and a good performance, and in the changing room we were all sat wondering how we didn’t win,” he admitted. “It’s a good point if we back it up on Saturday, but the result has to give us confidence.

“It’s a new group and a new defence for me, so it has been really good to move together as a unit. We are going to need to defend really well on Saturday, as Shrewsbury are a team who are going to give us lots of defensive actions to complete. If we can cover the spaces we need and react to what happens, we need to add the final touch of scoring at the other end.”

That final touch is exactly what City need to find against a Shrewsbury side who, despite sitting bottom of League One, won’t be making things easy. Ainsworth’s men ground out a 0-0 draw with Bristol Rovers in midweek and, while wins have been hard to come by, they won’t be short of fight with their League One status on the line.

Last time these two sides met, City came away with a 2-0 win at New Meadow, thanks to goals from Kamari Doyle and Josh Magennis. A repeat of that result would do nicely as the Grecians look to put together a strong run of form heading into the final stretch of the season.

With plenty on the line and a big crowd expected, this one has all the makings of a real scrap. Will City’s quality shine through, or will Shrewsbury’s desperation make them dangerous? There’s only one way to find out – see you at the Park!