Shrewsbury Town: Boss Gareth Ainsworth warns ‘one win doesn’t make a season’

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.