Shrewsbury Town defender Aristotle Nsiala says the squad’s never-say-die attitude helped them fight back from a goal down to hammer fellow strugglers Crawley and end their six-match winless run in League One.
Nsiala scored his first league goal for Town as they turned around a 2-1 deficit to run out comfortable 5-3 winners at the Broadfield Stadium.
The win was only Shrewsbury’s second in the league in what has been a difficult start to the campaign for Paul Hurst’s side.
“We said however it goes – horrible or nice – the game was all about the three points,” Nsiala told BBC Radio Shropshire.
The result – from one of only two games played in League One during the latest international break – keeps Shrewsbury in the bottom four in the early-season table.
They are 21st, behind Northampton Town and Leyton Orient on goal difference, but having played two more games than the Cobblers and one more than the O’s.
Nevertheless, Shrewsbury made the most of their opportunity to put points on the board and to move above Crawley in an eventful game in Sussex.
John Marquis’ 26th-minute opener for the visitors was cancelled out by Will Swann before Junior Quitirna had put Crawley ahead just past the hour, shortly after they had been reduced to 10 men when Josh Flint was shown a second yellow card.
But Shrewsbury eventually capitalised as, first, Nsiala crashed in a header to equalise with less than 20 minutes to go before Town pulled clear as Marquis added his second and George Lloyd grabbed a late double.
Despite trailing, Nsiala said The Shrews never let their heads drop.
“When that goal went in [at 2-1] we looked at each other and said ‘come on, let’s go again’,” he said.
“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. We have to keep going and going and eventually the luck will turn for us.
“Some of the goals we’ve conceded [this season] have been really unlucky – it’s hit the bar or post and landed perfectly for the team and they’ve scored.
“Hopefully if we keep working hard we’ll get what he deserve.”
Nsiala was playing his first league game since 21 September, and said his goal “meant a lot” after “a bit of an emotional last couple of weeks”.
“We feel we deserved more out of the games we’ve played and it’s not landed for us,” he said, adding he was delighted for Marquis and Lloyd to get their goals.
“It does them the world of good. It’s like keeping a clean sheet for the defence. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Shrewsbury have a chance to move three points clear of the bottom four on Thursday when they host in-form, seventh-placed Exeter.