Blackpool v Shrewsbury: Salop aiming to maintain momentum as they begin 2025

Salop fans will have spent the last 12 months wanting to start afresh with their team's poor form over the calendar year.

But as they wave goodbye to a year which saw them win just nine of the 50 matches they played across all competitions, they do so having finally built some momentum.

Gareth Ainsworth and his rejuvenated Shrewsbury side find themselves having gone unbeaten in their last three outings – only the second time Town achieved that all year and the first time for more than eight months.

Blackpool are the opposition this time. Shrewsbury's players may have been given Christmas Day off, but they will not be seeing in the New Year with their families - they will be in a hotel by the Seaside as they prepare to take on the Tangerines. 

Ainsworth ruled out the possibility of a late night for his squad - he is planning to go to Lancashire to win - and he says Auld Lang Syne will have to wait.

"It's a tough place to go, especially this time of year," he said. "It's not nice conditions sometimes. I've grown up for 20 years in Lancashire, and when that wind blows, especially on the coast there, it blows.

"But we're going to prepare properly. I can't thank the chairman (Roland Wycherley) and director of football, Micky Moore, enough for letting us stay overnight, which is important. 

"I think Auld Lang Syne will be sung after the game - not before it. 

"Steve Bruce has really turned the club around at Blackpool. "Hopefully, we can get something out of that game because the away form has been OK the last couple of games. We've got to make sure that we come away from Blackpool with a point, at least."

Salop only played Bruce's side at the start of December and Ainsworth says that has some positives and some negatives. 

"It helps with prep because of personnel and their individual attributes," he continued."The lads have seen them, the lads have played against them. But, on the flip side, Blackpool have seen us as well. So they know all about the attributes that my boys have got. There's some tinkering probably to do.

"I think I'll have to assess the injuries over the next couple of days and pick the team I think is going to be best to beat Blackpool."

Jordan Shipley was originally supposed to be in the starting XI for the game against Northampton - but he was ill on the day. Ainsworth confessed he does not have a crystal ball and he is still not sure if he will be well enough to play in Lancashire.  

Carl Winchester has been out for some time with a knee injury he sustained in training - speaking after the match against the Cobblers he seemed hopeful he will be able to be involved in some action soon. Josh Kayode made his long-awaited return from a calf injury on Sunday, the striker is a big physical presence and he did OK on his return - you would expect him to be involved again.