Shrewsbury Town v Bristol Rovers
Sky Bet League Two, The Croud Meadow, Saturday 17 October 2026, 12:30pm KO
Bristol Rovers will look to return to winning ways after back-to-back Sky Bet League Two defeats as they travel to Shrewsbury Town for Saturday's early kick-off.
The Pirates' record-breaking home winning run in the league ended last time out against Barnet, who won 3-1. Ellis Harrison broke the deadlock within four minutes, but late efforts from Adam Senior, Zac Williams and Kabongo Tshimanga beat a ten-man Rovers side, with Tommy Leigh sent off when the score was level.
Rovers' last away win was in August at Broadfield Stadium, beating Crawley Town 2-0 after goals from Tom James and Bobby Kamwa secured a dominant away win for the Gas.
Shrewsbury have had mixed results to start the season, leaving them in 18th place in Sky Bet League Two, with their last game ending in a home defeat to Exeter City after a late winner from substitute Sonny Cox.
Read everything you need to know about the fixture below...
Tickets...
Supporters can purchase tickets for our away fixture against Shrewsbury Town on the day of the game at the Croud Meadow by cash only.
Travel...
If you are driving from Bristol to The Croud Meadow, you must avoid the M5 as it is closed for the full weekend.
Avoid the M5 entirely by taking the A38 northbound towards Gloucester, then the A40 towards Ross-on-Wye. Join the A49 northbound through Herefordshire, continuing through Leominster and Ludlow towards Shrewsbury.
From Shrewsbury, follow signs for the A5 and then the A49/B4380 and Oteley Road to reach Shrewsbury Town’s Croud Meadow. Allow extra time, as the A38, A40 and A49 may be busy, and check for further roadworks before setting off.
Official parking can be found at Meole Brace Park and Ride (SY3 9NB) for £5 cash. This is a short walk to the stadium. (Access is off Beagle Road, Shrewsbury).
Sainsbury's parking can be pre-booked at www.yourparkingspace.co.uk. Alternatively, Free parking can be foundat Shrewsbury Business Park (SY2 6LG) and is approximately a 15-20 minute walk.
The Stadium is approximately a one-hour walk from the railway station. There is a return Town Centre Football Shuttle bus in operation from the town centre to the stadium, which departs Shrewsbury Bus Station at 10:45am & 11:45am.
Opposition...
Shrewsbury Town’s decade-long stay in Sky Bet League One came to an end in the 2024/25 season, finishing 24th in the third tier after collecting 33 points from their 46 games. Salop battled against relegation for much of last term, but Gavin Cowan steered them to safety with a 19th-place finish.
They will be looking to build on last season, but have had inconsistent results so far. Shrewsbury only won one of their first five Sky Bet League Two games. However, it was against table-toppers Salford City. Since then, they have only lost one of their last five, going four unbeaten with two wins and two draws before falling to Exeter City last time out.
They last picked up three points when they travelled to Blundell Park to face Grimsby Town with goals from forward George Lloyd and Young midfielder Kian McMahon-Brown, their only win on the road so far this season.
Shrewsbury were busy in the summer transfer market, with permanent signings including midfielder Tom Sang from Port Vale and Anthony Scully from Portsmouth.
They have also made the most of the loan market, adding Iwan Morgan and Elyh Harrison from Brentford and Manchester United, respectively. Salop also made two loan signings from Aston Villa, signing Sam Proctor and Lino Sousa, with the latter having a spell at the Gas during the 2024/25 term.
Previous Meetings...
Rovers have enjoyed recent meetings with the Shrews, completing a league double over them in the previous campaign. The Gas won 3-0 on the road thanks to a hat-trick from Fabrizio Cavegn, Steve Evans' first win in charge of the Pirates, before triumphing in the reverse fixture at The Mem, with Tommy Leigh scoring the only goal with 11 minutes remaining.
The Gas have also had the best of recent history, winning nine of the last 20 meetings between the sides, drawing five and losing six. Rovers have kept six straight clean sheets against Salop, last conceding in a 2-1 away loss in May 2023.
Match Officials...
Referee: Ben Toner
Assistant Referees: Thomas Harty and Kevin Howick
Fourth Official: Matthew Mcquillan
