One Shrewsbury win doesn't make a season - Ainsworth

Gareth Ainsworth has not faced Steve Bruce since their playing days when he scored Port Vale's goal against Trevor Francis's Birmingham City in a 1-1 draw at St Andrew's in April 1998

New Shrewsbury Town boss Gareth Ainsworth and Blackpool counterpart Steve Bruce have at least one thing in common when they meet at Oteley Road on Wednesday night.

In terms of experience, 63-year-old Bruce has the edge over 51-year-old Ainsworth.

Bruce has taken charge of 1,052 games as a manager with 12 different clubs, compared to the Salop boss's 590 - and four promotions to Ainsworth's two.

But, when it comes to the question of who each team played last time out, the answer is the same: Birmingham City.

And, while Ainsworth is still privately mentally eulogising over his first game in charge 10 days ago, Town's 3-2 win over the League One promotion favourites, he knows Bruce will be smarting at losing to his old club in the FA Cup on Sunday.

"Steve Bruce was one of the great centre-halves this country has ever seen - I was lucky enough to play against him, and he's a winner," Ainsworth told BBC Radio Shropshire. "You don't play for Manchester United and win all he did without being a winner.

"He'll be trying to drum into his players that they need to react. What I've got to tell my boys is to be ready for that reaction."

Shrewsbury go into the game seven places - and nine points - behind Bruce's Blackpool. But they are still five points adrift of safety, having won just three times in 16 League One games this season.

And, despite making such a great start against Birmingham, Ainsworth wants to keep his players' feet on the floor and make them fully realise what a job they have got on, if they are to retain third-tier football in Shropshire for an 11th straight season.

"One game doesn't make a season," said Ainsworth. "No way you sit back and think we've cracked it now. We need a big follow-up from that fantastic performance.

"I'm sure I'll also see them when they struggle - and we'll learn more at those moments. But now I've seen this team at their best I want them to back that up."

Ainsworth knows from his experience at Wycombe just what a long haul it can be.

After taking over at Adams Park, initially as caretaker boss in September 2012 and finishing 15th in League Two, Ainsworth's Wycombe only stayed in the Football League in his first full season in 2013-14 thanks to both a 3-0 final-day win over already-relegated Torquay United at Plainmoor and nearest rivals Bristol Rovers losing at home to Mansfield.

It then took until 2018 before the first of their two promotions in three seasons -and a year in the Championship.

Shrewsbury themselves famously spent 10 seasons at second-tier level from 1979 to 1989 after being led up by Graham Turner - and came so close to getting back there when they fell in the League One play-off final at Wembley in 2018 under Paul Hurst, Ainsworth's predecessor, in his far more successful first spell in charge.

But it is one step at a time right now as Ainsworth looks to build on such a flying start.

"I'm this person who really believes in consistency," he said. "The boys want to belong somewhere. And they need to know what that something is before they belong.

"But we have to go into every game believing we can win. I said that before the Birmingham game, I'm saying it again before the Blackpool game and I'll say it again every game this season. I've just got to get the boys to believe that too."

Gareth Ainsworth was talking to BBC Radio Shropshire sports editor Nick Southall