Preview: Shrewsbury Town vs. Plymouth Argyle - prediction, team news, lineups

Table-topping Plymouth Argyle are away at off-form Shrewsbury Town, looking to hold on to their spot in the League One table.

The Shrews stopped the rot with a 1-1 draw against Portsmouth last time out, and the league leaders returned to winning ways at mid-table Exeter City.

Match preview

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There must have been relief at Shrewsbury after Saturday's draw with Portsmouth following a torrid run of results in League One.

The Shrews had lost four games in succession, conceding 13 goals in four matches and scoring just one in 360 minutes of football.

That changed at Fratton Park, where Steve Cotterill's team played out a stalemate to stop the consecutive defeats.

A 6-0 thrashing by Charlton Athletic was the heaviest beat down in that wretched run, and they also conceded three times without reply against Peterborough United.

However, the Shrews play host to the side chasing automatic promotion to the Championship, aware they cannot afford another colossal loss at New Meadow.

Plymouth suffered a surprising 2-0 home defeat at the hands of mid-table Lincoln City on April 10 but returned to winning ways with a 1-0 triumph at Exeter.

Steven Schumacher's team had won three on the trot after a 3-0 loss at Barnsley on March 11, claiming 15 points from an available 18 before that reverse against Lincoln.

Despite the recent losses, the Pilgrims remain top of the table, even if they are only one point ahead of Ipswich Town and two clear of Sheffield Wednesday with five league games remaining.

Even fourth-placed Barnsley are just five points behind the leaders, so all four sides could still end in the top-two places that guarantee an automatic promotion.

Plymouth will hope to prevent dropping out of those coveted places, and a repeat of the 2-1 win in the reverse fixture will be just what the doctor ordered.

Team News

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Tom Flanagan was sent off after picking up two yellows in Shrewsbury's win over Portsmouth, thus ruling out the defender on Tuesday, while Ryan Bowman is back from suspension after sitting out the last game.

Twenty-one-year-old Robert Street scored only his third goal of the season in that win, and the forward will hope to add to that tally against the promotion contenders.

Michael Cooper has been absent since suffering a cruciate ligament rupture in February, and the goalkeeper is not returning this season.

Mickel Miller has not featured since going off in the 52nd minute against Lincoln, and the wing-back is unlikely to return at New Meadow.

Shrewsbury Town possible starting lineup:

Marosi; Pennington, Dunkley, Moore; Bennett, Winchester, Leahy, Shipley; Phillips; Street, Bowman

Plymouth Argyle possible starting lineup:

Burton; Wilson, Scarr, Galloway; Edwards, Houghton, Butcher, Earley; Wright, Mayor; Hardie

We say: Shrewsbury Town 1-2 Plymouth Argyle

Plymouth have won three away games on the trot after two losses on the road, but they will not have it easy at a ground where Shrewsbury have claimed five wins from their last seven.

A slender win for the leaders should see them claim 10 victories on their travels.

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