Image source, Rex Features

With the eighth-best home record and the eighth-best away in League One, you could say Exeter's season has been pretty balanced so far.

They've very much gone under the radar in climbing into the play-off race.

A four-match unbeaten run in the EFL has seen them pick-up three wins and a draw without conceding a single goal in the process, in fact if you throw-in their EFL Trophy match with Tottenham Under-21s it's now 450 minutes since they conceded in going down 2-1 at Blackpool.

Goalkeeper Joe Whitworth is certainly enjoying his first taste of EFL football having joined on loan from Crystal Palace in the summer. The 20-year-old has only been beaten seven times in the 10 games he's played.

Image source, Getty Images

Shrewsbury Town head coach Paul Hurst has shaken up his team selection in the last few games and you could argue it’s worked with five points from the last four games, having picked up just three from the previous seven.

Despite some key players being left out in recent games, Hurst said the reaction has been positive.

"I don't expect you to be the happiest person in the world if you're not in the team and that can be difficult for players because it's a balancing act,” Hurst told BBC Radio Shropshire.

"Sure, be disappointed but show the right attitude and get back in the team.

"They've heard me say it many times before, anyone who wants to go into sulk mode will just push themselves further away from the team and will only get an opportunity if I've got no-one else.

"And in fairness, the players have done that.”

Alan Tonge
Former Exeter midfielder on BBC Radio Devon

There is plenty of talent in there for Exeter. One of the things I always look at is the strength on the bench if things need shifting around to change the game.

It's a good line-up and hopefully the Grecians can get the win that would push us into fourth, which would be quite amazing.

Image source, Opta

When you're four games unbeaten and haven't conceded a goal since September 14 you'd think it's not the time for tinkering but Exeter boss Gary Caldwell makes three changes to his side.

Sonny Cox wins his first start of the season up front in place of Josh Magennis who was away with Northern Ireland over the international break and only returned on Wednesday.

Jack Fitzwater and Jack Aitchison join Magennis on the bench with Tristan Crama and Kamari Doyle starting.

Image source, BBC Sport

Paul Hurst sticks with exactly the same line-up for Shrewsbury which ran out 5-3 winners at Crawley Town last Saturday.

John Marquis leads the line for Salop, who also have two players on loan from Premier League sides in their starting XI.

Teenage defender Josh Feeney is with the Shrews for the season from Aston Villa, while 19-year-old midfielder Leo Castledine - who has scored two goals in eight games - is on loan from Chelsea.

Image source, BBC Sport

There's a big opportunity for Exeter to steal a march on all the sides around them tonight.

With the rest of League One not in action until Saturday, the Grecians can go sixth with a draw tonight and a victory would take them up to fourth place.

A positive result this evening and Exeter fans can put their feet up on Saturday and watch the others sweat it out.

Image source, Rex Features

Now, without wanting to tempt fate, does Exeter manager Gary Caldwell have one of the safest jobs in the EFL?

Tonight he brings up 100 games in charge of the Devon club where a win would take them up to fourth place.

Exeter have had just three managers in 18 years and the fact Caldwell survived a club record run of 13 games without a win last season suggests he's relatively secure.

It's also perhaps a lesson in patience for the legions of trigger-happy owners around the leagues who simply don't afford their managers the same length of time to make mistakes, and learn from them.

"I think what I enjoy here is that the football club allows me to do my job and I'll be successful or not successful based on what I do, and not what anyone else does, and that freedom to do that is brilliant," he told BBC Radio Devon.

"The biggest thing for me is support, it's not an easy job, and at times you're going to need support - whether that's finances, whether that's the board coming in to speak to the players and the staff and understand the club more.

"The club have been amazing at giving me that support that I need to do my job and I'm thankful of that."

Image source, Rex Features

One point would be enough to lift Shrewsbury out of the League One relegation zone tonight but they need to do a lot more to get themselves clear of trouble.

Cambridge United and Burton Albion's winless start is helping maintain a cushion from the bottom two but there is already a five-point gap between the Shrews in 21st and Bristol Rovers who are 18th.

Image source, Getty Images

There's no denying it's been a difficult start to the season for Shrewsbury Town, who are in the relegation zone with only two wins from 11.

But one of those victories came in wild fashion away at Crawley Town last weekend as they scored almost as many goals in one match as they had in the previous 10 on the way to a 5-3 win.

Salop have also stopped a run of three straight defeats by losing just one of their last four league games (W1, D2).

Defender Aristotle Nsiala, who scored in the eight-goal thriller with Crawley, believes they've developed a stronger mentality in recent weeks.

"We've got to have this belief that we've had over the last couple of games when we're one or two goals down - it's never die," he told BBC Radio Shropshire.

"We have to keep going and going and eventually the luck will turn for us. Hopefully if we keep working hard, we'll get what he deserve."

The Town will hope it proves to be a turning point in their season as they come up against an Exeter City side they've failed to beat in their last three meetings.

Image source, Getty Images

Good evening!

The second international break of the season is now over and the EFL is back in full swing once again.

First up, it's a crucial League One meeting which will impact both ends of the table and we should get goals tonight.

Only Peterborough United (21) have conceded more than Shrewsbury Town (20) in League One this season and last time out Paul Hurst's side were 5-3 winners at Crawley Town.

Exeter arrive in Shropshire on a four-match unbeaten run in the EFL and with a chance to break into the top six tonight.

Right, let's get on with it shall we?