Shrewsbury starting to tick some boxes - Appleton

Michael Appleton managed nine clubs before taking the Shrewsbury job
- Published
Shrewsbury Town's first win of the season shows they are starting to "tick certain boxes" they need to overcome their difficult start to the campaign, says head coach Michael Appleton.
Town's 3-1 victory over Chelsea's under-21 side in the Vertu Trophy provided some much-needed relief after five consecutive defeats where they only scored three goals.
Despite only having a third of possession in the game against Blues' youngsters, League Two Shrewsbury mustered 20 shots and forced nine corners.
They made the most of their five efforts on target, as Tommy McDermott before half-time and John Marquis and Will Boyle after the break, all scored as Salop responed in style to going behind to Shumaira Mheuka's 10th-minute opener.
"I'm delighted the players kept on the front foot. They could've stepped away from it after going a goal behind. They responded really well," Appleton told BBC Radio Shropshire.
"We were very aggressive and I told the players it's a different game when you're playing in the opposition's half."
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Appleton's summer rebuild after last season's relegation from League One has not created the bounce the head coach would have wanted as the club adjusts to life back in League Two.
After an opening-day goalless draw with Bromley, four defeats - against Tranmere, Colchester, Notts County and Swindon - followed along with their exit from the Carabao Cup.
But since being beaten 4-1 by Notts, Appleton said he has been encouraged by what he has seen after saying his side needed to be "miles better".
"There's been some really good signs in the last couple of games," Appleton added.
"After Notts County, I couldn't believe we lost a 50:50 game 4-1. I don't know how we managed to do that.
"On Saturday [against Swindon] I thought we were bang average in that first period but in the second half we were excellent and created many opportunities.
"We lost the game because of what happened previously - not because of what happened in the game. It was just a little bit more of a mindset."
It is getting that key psychological trait right that Appleton says is starting to happen.
"That's why I was delighted [with the Chelsea win] because there are certain boxes we needed to tick and one of them was going behind and winning a game," he said.
"Now I want to make sure that, come Saturday, we can go ahead in the game and give ourselves an even better chance of winning it."
'Two or three more signings'
Town host another winless side Accrington at the weekend and Appleton says he is "quietly confident" another new signing could be confirmed before Saturday's game.
After bringing in eight new recruits, Appleton says more reinforcements are needed before the end of the window on 1 September.
"Two, possibly three have to happen for us to go between now and January and be really competitive and put ourselves in a lot healthier position than we are now," he said.
"I've had some difficult, but honest conversations with players and with one or two it's going to be best for all parties for them to move on."