Paul Hurst: Shrewsbury Town close to appointing Grimsby Town boss as new manager

Paul Hurst guided Grimsby Town to the National League play-offs in four consecutive seasons

League One strugglers Shrewsbury Town are close to appointing Grimsby Town boss Paul Hurst as their new manager.

It is understood that Shrewsbury have made an official approach for the 42-year-old and that talks are ongoing.

But BBC Humberside report that no deal is done and that Grimsby officials still expect him to be in charge for Saturday's home game with Cheltenham.

Hurst, who has been at Blundell Park since 2011, won promotion back to the Football League for Grimsby in May.

Shrewsbury have been managerless since Micky Mellon left on 7 October to take over at National League side Tranmere.

Having, like Grimsby, also been promoted from League Two, under Mellon in May 2015, Shrewsbury narrowly stayed up last season, but dropped to the bottom in midweek.

Shrewsbury chief executive Brian Caldwell says that the club could have a new manager in place before Saturday's visit of Northampton Town.

Town also made an approach for Partick Thistle boss Alan Archibald, but the Scot has since ruled himself out of the running.

Morecambe boss Jim Bentley says he has had no approach, while another Shrewsbury old boy Nigel Jemson, who is coaching at another of his former clubs, Nottingham Forest, and out-of-work managers Tony Mowbray, Steve Cotterill and Micky Adams have all told BBC Radio Shropshire they are not interested.

Also, Shrewsbury's Shropshire-based Welsh Premier League neighbours The New Saints of Oswestry have issued a statement denying reports that an official approach was made for their manager Craig Harrison.