Shrewsbury Town have a challenging match away to Grimsby Town this weekend, at a stadium where their past results are worrying. The team, led by Gavin Cowan, is in 18th place with eight points from their first eight matches and hopes to secure a league victory at this venue for the first time in many years. Their goal difference is negative.
Cowan knows the ground well from his time as a Shrewsbury player in the mid-2000s. As a manager, after winning a title with Brackley Town, he now tries to change a negative pattern. In past encounters, Shrewsbury have been successful in only 17 of 58 games. Their most recent league win at this stadium was a 1-0 result in February 2005, with the decisive goal scored by Jake Sedgemore. In six league trips since, they have drawn twice and been defeated four times.
Recent form and context
Shrewsbury's start to the season has been mixed, with two victories, two draws, and four losses in eight games. They have let in more goals than they have scored. Their last match was a 2-2 home draw with Colchester United, where late scores from Luca Hoole and Isaac Fletcher earned them a point. This leaves them trailing the top team by seven points. Their performances away from home have been especially poor, with only one point gained from four matches on their travels.
Grimsby, in 6th position, will be a difficult opponent. Under David Artell, they have begun the season well. Their recent results feature two home wins but also two consecutive away losses. They have collected 14 points from eight fixtures, placing them six points and several positions above Shrewsbury. The game starts at 3pm on Saturday. Shrewsbury's following match is also away, and the complete list of games can be found on our fixtures page.
