New boss Hurst delighted as Shrewsbury ease past out-of-sorts Cobblers

Hurst returned to the hot seat at the Croud Meadow on Tuesday, replacing Matt Taylor who was sacked last weekend after a run of seven defeeats in eight matches.

And Hurst had an immediate impact as the Shrews claimed three precious Sky Bet League points, comfortably beating a Cobblers side that had lost just two in 12 going into the encounter.

The win lifted the Shrews five places up the table to 15th, and saw them go six points clear of the drop zone, with second-half goals from Dan Udoh and Chey Dunkley sealing the result.

Shrews were the better side throughout, and would have won by more but for some good second-half saves from Town shot-stopper Lee Burge, and a delighted Hurst said: "I think it was a very well deserved three points.

"It's not like we were lucky, or hitting them on the break or anything like that.

"I thought all the players did well, they all had moments in the game and a lot of what we tried to implement, we saw bits of that, certainly in terms of what Northampton offered.

"I think we nullified a lot of their threat, and hopefully the players will take confidence from it.

"But I have just said to the players, and I don't want to rain on anybody's parade, but it is just one game so we are not going to get carried away.

"I had some apprehension before the game, and I was still a bit concerned at half-time because the players had put so much into that first half and I am not yet sure about some of their fitness levels.

"But they seemed to find more energy when they needed it, and for a lot of that second half we had a really good spell where we had attack after attack, but it took us a little while to get in front.

"We were beginning to wonder if we would get hit with a sucker-punch, but we didn't, and I think Marco Marosi has only had to make one real save, so I am really pleased."