The best and worst of Shrewsbury Town in 2024 after a turbulent 12 months

As we turn the page on the last 12 months, the Shropshire Star's Town reporter, Ollie Westbury, has picked out some of the high points as well as some of the crushing lows. 

January - Shrewsbury 0-1 Stevenage - Low point

Salop lost to Stevenage on January 13 - it was their sixth loss in seven games, and it was a truly awful game of football. 

It came after a defeat to local rivals Wrexham in the FA Cup the week before, but Town had at least been competitive and played well in that clash. 

This was just terrible, and a late Jamie Reid goal saw Stevenage get the points. 

Town were the lowest-scoring side in the entire EFL at the time, and it was the moment where you felt Matt Taylor would not be able to get the fans back on board. 

He was sacked a week later after a defeat at Peterborough. 

January - Northampton 0-2 Shrewsbury - High point 

This was a truly brilliant day. It was Paul Hurst's second first game in charge of Salop after being appointed as head coach following Taylor's departure. 

He changed formation, and he got Town playing on the front foot. They were all over the Cobblers, and they should have won by more. 

Dan Udoh and Chey Dunkley got the goals for Shrews in the second half, and it made Salop fans realise what these players were capable of. 

April - Charlton 1-1 Shrewsbury - High point

It was a warm day in south London, and it was the match where League One survival was secured for the 10th successive year. 

Town had gone to Bolton just a few days earlier and got a point with a brilliant 2-2 draw, which put a dent in their automatic promotion hopes. 

Udoh, who went on to leave Shrewsbury in the summer, fired them in front in the 23rd minute until George Dobson hit back for Charlton. 

The players celebrated with the supporters on the pitch at The Valley when the point was secured.  

November - Salford 2-1 Shrewsbury - Low point 

This was another low ebb for Salop, and it was the game that ultimately cost Hurst his job - he was sacked after two wins in 19 matches.

In truth, there were other games you could throw into the mix for a low point, the 2-0 loss at home to Barnsley was equally sombre or the defeat to Burton Albion and Walsall, which followed Hurst's departure - they were miserable afternoons to be a Salop fan. 

November - Shrewsbury 3-2 Birmingham - High point

After Shrewsbury appointed Gareth Ainsworth as their new head coach few could have predicted the impact he would have in his first game. 

They were up against League One's big-spending Birmingham City at the Croud Meadow in a game that was widely regarded as a free-hit. 

But Town produced the performance of the year to that point to beat Chris Davies' side as Ainsworth was introduced to the Shrewsbury fans for the first time. 

December - Cambridge 4-1 Shrewsbury - Low point 

It was not just the result and the performance that was miserable here, but the weather was too. 

In the middle of Storm Darragh, Salop dished up an awful defensive display against the U's. 

They trailed within 40 seconds, conceded a second before the break before they repeated the errors in the second half as they let a third in within a minute of the resumption. 

You could have chosen the 4-1 defeat at home to Wycombe a week later as a low point. Two former Shrews players Luke Leahy and Udoh twisted the knife in. 

But given they were up against a relegation rival in Cambridge, this was a terrible day for more reasons than one.