Shrewsbury boss Gareth Ainsworth was full of praise for his side’s defending after they secured just their second clean sheet of the season with a 1-0 home win over Lincoln.
Morgan Feeney poked home the only goal from a well-worked corner routine to earn the Shrews their fourth home victory in the league.
Lincoln’s chances were few and far between and the defeat saw them drop out of the play-off places.
The hosts did have an opportunity to double their advantage late in the game when Dylan Duffy handled in the area, but George Wickens guessed correctly and saved John Marquis’ penalty.
“Sometimes it isn’t pretty and sometimes we have to do what’s needed,” said Ainsworth. “But we defended superbly today.
“I think there was one clear-cut chance for Lincoln and Jamal Blackman made an astonishing save at the far post from a cross.
“I thought the centre-halves were imperious today, they won every header and tackle and they weren’t going to get beaten, however long we played.
“I’m not here to play pretty and play brilliant, I’m here to get results and keep this team in League One and that’s what I’m trying to do.
“The crazy thing is we could have won that game 2-0 and people would look at the result without seeing the game and think, ‘Wow, 2-0, that must have been easy for Shrewsbury’.
“I made a few changes today, which is difficult after the comeback at Wigan, but I’m pleased to say the changes were justified.
“The older boys then came on and saw the game out, the experience came out, and when we needed to keep hold of the ball we kept hold of it.”
Lincoln boss Michael Skubala said: “We knew coming here that the game would be slow and they would make it really clunky.
“We didn’t manage that very well at all, we didn’t do enough of those basics to get us a result.
‘If you start a game like that slow, sloppy and not well enough, they get a 1-0 lead and something to hold on to.
“We didn’t get close enough to them. I don’t know if it’s because of Christmas or anything like that, but we just didn’t look at it especially in the first half.
“When they get a 1-0 lead, they sit behind the ball and it’s hard to break down.
“Even in those moments, you have to move the ball quick and have a bit of zip to break things down and get into pockets.
“We have to be better as a team in the basics and I thought today that it was a really big opportunity missed.”
