Boss Kieran McKenna says he’s taking no notice of the records his side is breaking with the Blues chasing a sixth win on the bounce for the first time since 1999 when they take on Shrewsbury in front of a crowd expected to be around 27,000 at Portman Road on Saturday.

Last week’s hugely impressive 2-0 win at Bolton saw Town stretch their winning run to five matches for the first time in the league since 2003, while their sixth successive clean sheet was a new club record, as is the 596 minutes since they last conceded a goal. During that time, they have scored 16 times.

Town last won six matches in a row starting with the 4-3 after-extra-time home victory over Bolton in the second leg of the play-off semi-final in 1998/99 and then the first five games of 1999/00.

The Blues last won six regular league matches on the bounce in the 1991/92 Second Division title-winning season.

But McKenna says such milestones aren’t something he particularly takes notice of, preferring to take each game as it comes in the traditional manner.

“The records are for other people,” he said. “The reason why records like that exist is because it's very hard to win games.

“There's an opposition and every opposition brings a different threat and different challenge, and it's hard to win lots of games back-to-back because it's a competitive sport with fine margins, and it's not easy to keep coming out on the right side of them.

“So all we can do is keep focusing on ourselves, on our performance, on the details, making sure the mentality and physicality is right where it's been, and if we do that, we give ourselves a good chance to tick off each game as they come.”

Nevertheless, he says records can provide a challenge for players: “Of course, the defenders, [keeper] Christian [Walton] and lots of the team would like to keep a clean sheet, and everyone wants to win, but it's three points against Shrewsbury, that’s all that matters.

“It doesn't matter what happened last week, it doesn't matter now what's going to happen next week, it's Shrewsbury, it's full focus on all the details and everything that's going to help us get three points, and there's no time to focus on anything else.”

Town go into the match third, now only two points behind second-placed Plymouth, who are in action at home to bottom club Forest Green Rovers, while Barnsley, who are six points behind the Blues in fourth with two games in hand, are at Wycombe Wanderers. Leaders Sheffield Wednesday host sixth-placed Bolton on Friday evening.

Shrewsbury, who are ninth, 17 points behind the Blues, have been on an inconsistent run in their last six matches, recording a draw, a defeat and a win, then another draw, loss and victory, 3-1 at home to Morecambe last week.

Prior to those results they had been on a six-game winning streak from mid-January to mid-February.

Away from home, they have won six, drawn five and lost seven. Their most recent away results were a 2-1 loss at Peterborough and a 2-2 draw at Derby. Their last win on the road was 1-0 at Oxford in early February.

Tightness at the back has been a feature of their away games with only Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley, nine and 13 respectively, having conceded fewer than their total of 17. Town have shipped two more.

At the other end of the field, only eight sides have scored fewer away from home than their 19 goals.

“They are having a strong season in strong form, especially since January,” McKenna reflected.

“I don't think they've changed too much [since the Blues beat them 3-0 in August]. They have never, certainly any time I've seen them, ever been anything other than really a solid, well-organised and hard to play against team.

“You have different runs when you pick up points and come out on the right side of the margins.

“Nearly all their games are tight and it's very rare that they won't be competitive in a game against anyone.

“And they are a solid and strong team with threats, so we have to be ready. We know it's going to be a difficult game.

“Of course, we're playing at home, we're positive, we're looking forward to the game, we look o go and attack them in the same way we attack everyone, but we will also go into the game with humility, knowing that they've been a really difficult opponent for everyone they've played this year and they'll be looking to make it very difficult for us as well.”

Will that 3-0 win at Montgomery Waters Meadow have much of an impact on Saturday’s match?

“I don’t think it’ll have much bearing,” McKenna considered. “There’ll maybe be some similarities in terms of the challenge.

“It was certainly a very good performance. It took a wonderful goal from Tyreece [John-Jules] to open up the game, there weren’t a lot of chances before that.

“There wasn’t a lot in the game and it took a wonderful individual goal to open the game up and then when it opened up a little bit, we were able to deliver a really good and controlled second-half performance.

“I don’t think it’ll have any bearing on the result. Maybe it shows the importance of the first goal in these type of games.

“There are some players and some traits in their team that’ll still be the same in terms of their strengths and their weaknesses, but I think there are different players in each team, both teams are going into the game in a different place and I think it’s a game that will live its own life.”

With it likely to be a tight game, Town will need their fans to get behind them once again.

“The crowd have been massive for us in all the home games and that’s certainly going to be the case,” McKenna said.

“Humility is massive for us and realising that we’re on good form, we’ve got a big crowd and it’s at our stadium, but it doesn’t give us any right to win the game and Shrewsbury are coming with a good team, an in-form team, an experienced and shrewd manager [Steve Cotterill], who are going to make it really difficult for us.

“They picked up a draw at Derby a couple of weeks ago, they’ve been very tight in every game this season. Had very tight games away to Sheffield Wednesday [lost 1-0] and to Plymouth [a 2-1 defeat] and have been competitive in every game this year.

“We know it’s going to be a difficult game. We know that they’re not an easy team to pull away from. We’ll go and be in as positive and aggressive as we can in the game.

“But we’ve got 96 minutes to win the game and it’s about doing the right things and being relentless and persisting and trusting that if we do the right things.

“More often than not, over the course of 96 minutes, we give ourselves a chance to win the game and if the supporters are right with us and are vocal and are right behind the boys and making difficult for the opposition, then that’s a big bonus for us and that’s part of why we’ve had such a good home record and we certainly want that feeling and that emotion in the stadium tomorrow.”

McKenna has said there are one or two minor knocks in the camp as well as a little illness but expects everyone who has been in and around the side recently to be OK for Saturday.

That being the case, Walton will continue in goal with Harry Clarke on the right of the defence with Luke Woolfenden and Cameron Burgess to his left, and Wes Burns wide on the right and Leif Davis the left.

Skipper Sam Morsy - who if he avoids his 10th league booking against the Shrews won’t face a ban unless he reaches 15 before the end of the season - will be in central midfield alongside Massimo Luongo with 19-goal top scorer Conor Chaplin and Goal of the Month scorer Nathan Broadhead behind either George Hirst or Freddie Ladapo with the on-loan Leicester man perhaps getting the nod from the start following his excellent first Town league goal last week.

The crowd of around 27,000 will include a number of ex-players, including Dutch legends Frans Thijssen and Arnold Muhren, who will be back at the club for Friday evening’s Hall of Fame Dinner, as well as former Arizona police officer Jason Schechterle.

Adult Ultimate, Gold and Silver members can buy two additional tickets in any area of the stadium for Saturday’s match priced at £10 for adults and £5 for seniors, under-23s and under-19s. Town’s ticketing website can be found here.

Asked whether Town will present a different challenge to his side’s opponents last week, manager Steve Cotterill said: “I suppose they are because of the league table but I don't want to discredit Morecambe with that.

“They had 11 players, we had 11 players and as far as I know, unless any rules are going to change, Ipswich will have 11 players on Saturday.

“I think Ipswich are up there because they've proved [themselves] over the course of the season.

“They've got an incredibly strong squad. The last time we played them we were on the back of a really tough game away at Wycombe, then we had Derby midweek and then we had them on Saturday. I think they came into that game having made five changes as well.

“We haven't been able to make five changes all season, let alone from a Tuesday to a Saturday. They've got an incredibly strong squad, we know that, but it's a game we're looking forward to.

“Our boys want to play all the time. They want to play. I have had dressing rooms before and you think to yourself ‘why would you want to be a footballer?’

“They want to get out on the pitch these boys. They look forward to playing the games and why wouldn’t you?

“It's a fantastic sport. Why wouldn’t you want to get out there and play? It's the best times of your life.”

Forward Christian Saydee is a concern with a hamstring problem, while midfielder Killian Phillips missed the Morecambe match with a concussion and is similarly a doubt.

Another midfielder, Tom Bayliss, came off in that match with an ankle issue with Cotterill not ruling him out of Saturday’s match.

Historically, the Blues have had much the better of matches between the two sides, winning 17 games (13 in the league), losing three (one) and drawing 10 (eight).

Town are unbeaten against the Shrews in 13 games stretching back to an old Second Division match at Gay Meadow in January 1987 when Bobby Ferguson’s side were defeated 2-1.

At Montgomery Waters Meadow in August, goals from John-Jules, Chaplin and Kayden Jackson saw top-of-the-table Town to a comfortable 3-0 victory and four wins on the trot for the first time since September and October 2019.

The Blues, who remained a point clear at the top of League One, went ahead in the 22nd minute when John-Jules created himself a brilliant first goal for the club, then Chaplin added the second seven minutes after the restart and sub Jackson netted the third in injury time.

At Portman Road in October last year, Macauley Bonne was the hero as Town recorded back-to-back wins for the first time under Paul Cook by beating Shrewsbury 2-1.

Chaplin gave the Blues the lead in the 23rd minute, but Shaun Whalley levelled on 28, however, 10 minutes in the second half Bonne flicked home his ninth goal of the season from a Lee Evans corner to seal a deserved three points.

Former Blues loan centre-half Matthew Pennington joined Shrewsbury on loan from Everton in January 2021, a switch which was made permanent the following summer.

Pennington, 27, made 31 starts and scored one goal while with the Blues during the 2018/19 campaign.

Town striker Ladapo spent the second half of 2016/17 on loan with the Shrews from Crystal Palace, scoring four times in 10 starts and five sub appearances.

Blues’ third-choice keeper Joel Coleman spent time on loan at Shrewsbury from Huddersfield in the first half of 2018/19, making 20 starts.

Saturday’s referee is Ollie Yates from Staffordshire, who has shown 111 yellow cards and one red in 28 games so far this season.

Yates's last Town game was the 2-1 home victory over Peterborough in December in which he yellow-carded Morsy, Chaplin, Kane Vincent-Young and none of the visitors.

He was also the man in the middle for the 1-0 win at Doncaster in February last year in which he booked Janoi Donacien and winning goalscorer Tyreeq Bakinson.

Prior to that, he took control of the 0-0 home draw with AFC Wimbledon in April 2021 in which he cautioned Gwion Edwards and no one else.

Yates was also in charge of the 2-1 win at Plymouth in December 2020 in which he dismissed Pilgrims winger Danny Mayor for two bookable offences and also yellow-carded Dai Cornell, Brett McGavin and two other home players.

Yates’s only other Town match was the 0-0 home draw with Doncaster in September 2019 in which he booked Flynn Downes and five of the visitors.

Squad from: Walton, Hladky, Clarke, Donacien, Woolfenden, Keogh, Burgess, Burns, Jackson, Vincent-Young, Davis, Leigh, Morsy, Humphreys, Luongo, Ball, Camara, Edwards, Chaplin, Harness, Aluko, Broadhead, Ladapo, Hirst.

Photo: TWTD

Nesspointrunner added 16:59 - Mar 17 Was n't the score against Bolton 5-3. I remember it distinctly. My 16 year old daughter slumpt into the car seat and said "GOSH". Do you have any idea what it takes to make any teenager say that word !
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PhilTWTD added 17:06 - Mar 17 The 5-3 was the year after when we went to Wembley! This was the one in which Kieron scored twice.
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positivity added 17:13 - Mar 17 phil, it's a bit of an obscure stat, but have we ever scored 16 goals in a row without reply before? discussed on the forum, we could only find a 13...
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PhilTWTD added 17:41 - Mar 17 I don't know for sure, but it seems unlikely, doesn't it?
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Gazelle added 18:24 - Mar 17 Hate to say it but in the 60 years I've been a fan every time we've had a run as good as this it comes to an end with a home defeat in front of a big crowd. I'll be there tomorrow and hope I'm wrong.
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Northstandveteran added 19:32 - Mar 17 To be fair, a club of Town's stature should be breaking records in the 3rd tier. It would be very easy to not win this game but they've gone and tickled my positive bone and I think we'll get all three. Sheffield Wednesday or Bolton tonight? I'm going Bolton. There's still enough points to play for if Wednesday have a wobble! Or is that stepping over that dangerous line between positivity and stupidity?

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bobble added 22:41 - Mar 17 2-0 to town charlie to score first
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Saxonblue74 added 23:27 - Mar 17 If there were such a thing as "professor of football" our manager would surely hold that title. Can't see anything other than a comfortable win for us tomorrow.
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Orraman added 10:44 - Mar 18 Only want two things today. A Town win obviously and Sam to finish the game without a yellow card.
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ArnieM added 11:50 - Mar 18 The manager and players appear totally focused on each game as it arrives snd prepare diligently for each one. We've not had this at Town for years. I'm starting to feel confident that even if we end up in PO's that we will come through them despite our past “ history” in them (2000 notwithstanding). COYBs let's do this …..
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BuckieBlue added 12:11 - Mar 18 To me whether we end up 2nd or 3rd mostly doesn't depend on our form (no reason to think that we won't continue to be so good) or on the easier fixture run in of Plymouth but on whether they have 'gone.' Their next two games will tell us. If they have their easier fixtures won't be much help and they will be there for the taking....but if they haven't then Wembley here we come!

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