Preview: Shrewsbury Town vs. Northampton Town - prediction, team news, lineups

Shrewsbury Town got immoderate festive delight with occurrence against Lincoln City connected Boxing Day, and the League One broadside question consecutive victories successful Sunday's gameweek 23 brushwood with chap strugglers Northampton Town astatine New Meadow.

Thursday's 1-0 occurrence took Gareth Ainsworth's men disconnected the bottom, a effect they purpose to consolidate against Kevin Nolan's men, who suffered decision successful the erstwhile midfielder's managerial bow astatine Reading, losing 4-1 connected 26 December.

Match preview

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After showing unthinkable quality to unafraid a constituent from 2-0 down astatine Wigan earlier Christmas, Shrewsbury did likewise against Lincoln, battling hard to clasp disconnected the promotion-chasing outfit to unafraid a 1-0 success.

Morgan Feeney scored the game's lone extremity successful the ninth minute, an vantage the Shrews held connected to for the remainder of the game, underscoring their resoluteness to accrue maximum points for the archetypal clip since November's 3-2 triumph against Birmingham City.

Having picked up 4 points from their past six available, the hosts are ending 2024 positively and purpose to widen their undefeated tally to 3 matches connected Sunday to adjacent retired the year.

Improving to 7 points from 9 would necessitate Shrewsbury to triumph consecutive league games for the archetypal clip since February 2023, erstwhile the Shropshire-based broadside claimed six successive triumphs.

The erstwhile triumph aft Ainsworth took complaint successful mid-November was followed by a three-match losing tally earlier the caller upswing, and Salop anticipation the tide has turned arsenic they question to fortify their ambition to flight the driblet heading into 2025.

Although they cannot permission the bottommost 4 with maximum points, Ainsworth's troops should invited the accidental to reel the visitors in.

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Nolan's broadside could descent into the bottommost 4 places this play if they driblet points and Crawley Town decision middling Exeter City.

Not adjacent the managerial alteration astatine the Cobblers inspired an contiguous turnaround, with the visiting nine losing heavy connected Boxing Day astatine Reading, extending the Shoe Army's losing tally to 3 matches.

Though the antiaircraft problems were inherited, the caller caput manager would person been underwhelmed by his broadside conceding 2 goals successful the game's opening half-hour, leaving them with an uphill task for the remaining hour.

Excluding their 3-0 EFL Trophy decision by Peterborough United, Northampton person conceded 3 goals astatine Rotherham (3-0), 5 astatine location to Charlton Athletic (5-0) and 4 connected December 26, highlighting wherever the 20th-placed club's problems lie.

It volition beryllium absorbing to observe if those weaknesses are fixed up of Sunday's sojourn to Shropshire, adjacent though the distant broadside volition beryllium alert of their opponent's worse antiaircraft grounds — 41 goals conceded, 3 much than Nolan's side.

However, immoderate optimism is drowned retired by recognising their miserable distant record, which has seen Northampton autumn to 4 consecutive losses and an wide winless tally stretching backmost 3 months.

Shrewsbury Town League One form:

Northampton Town League One form:

Northampton Town signifier (all competitions):

Team News

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Although Carl Winchester volition beryllium assessed earlier Sunday, Joshua Kayode's instrumentality to the squad against Lincoln aft 4 months was a invited show for the hosts.

Despite failing to person a precocious punishment connected Boxing Day to instrumentality him to 5 goals this term, 1 up of George Lloyd, John Marquis could instrumentality to the starting line-up this weekend.

While Nolan's men sustained nary caller injuries against Reading, Northampton are inactive without Patrick Brough, Ali Koiki, Luke Mbete, Callum Morton and Jack Sowerby; they could invited backmost Harvey Lintott, who is touch-and-go for Sunday's sojourn to Shropshire.

The Cobblers whitethorn person struggled for match-winners extracurricular of Cameron McGeehan, but Tom Eaves scoring the team's past 2 goals successful the league to instrumentality him to 3 strikes this word suggests different subordinate is stepping up for the 20th-placed club.

Shrewsbury Town imaginable starting lineup:
Blackman; M. Feeney, Pierre, J. Feeney; Hoole, Perry, Shipley, Benning; Castledine; Marquis, Lloyd

We say: Shrewsbury Town 2-1 Northampton Town

Shrewsbury mightiness person kept their archetypal League One cleanable expanse since August connected Boxing Day, but that was anomalous considering the signifier of failing to support opponents astatine arm's length.

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