The winning goal by Taiwo Atieno may have not have been a collector's item, but Saturday's performance brooked no argument as Torquay United made promotion rivals Shrewsbury Town the latest victims of a charge which is turning into a crusade for Martin Ling's men.

After the 1-0 home win over the Shrews, the facts and figures have Torquay fans walking around with "pinch me" smiles on their faces after a sixth straight win to make their recent record read P15 W12 D2 L1 F24 A7, 38 points out of 45, and, crucially, just one goal conceded in their last nine home games.

All that after a run of eight matches without a win in September and October which saw them let in 18 goals.

Even the Shrews' veteran boss Graham Turner, never one to admit defeat easily, made no attempt to claim that Town, beaten by Torquay in last season's npower League Two play-offs semi-finals, were anything but second-best.

Goalkeeper Chris Neal was probably their best player, producing two top-class saves from United's livewire winger Danny Stevens, while Bobby Olejnik in United's goal had only a couple of moments of concern all afternoon.

As Ling pointed out afterwards, this was a day for his side to answer some serious questions.

Could United continue their rampant form against lower opposition when they faced a top-seven side? How would Brian Saah cope, restored to the back-four after an absence of nearly three months? Would a groin injury to joint leading scorer Rene Howe weaken their attack? And, even, would that manager of the month "curse" strike again?

All those doubts were emphatically banished.

Shrewsbury posed a real threat for the first quarter of an hour, little more.

James Collins looped a header on to the top of Olejnik's bar from a cross by former Torquay midfielder Nicky Wroe and, in the 13th minute, Collins volleyed just wide from 20 yards. From then on, United passed them off the pitch. Their close-quarter work smacked of higher things than League Two, perfectly summed up in a 12-man move, mostly one-touch stuff, which ended with Ian Morris volleying wide in the 17th minute.

Presumably worried about the degree of control which Damon Lathrope's defensive midfield role gives to United, Turner posted new loan signing Romaine Sawyers on him, playing a 4-3-1-2 formation.

That did not work. Lathrope had a terrific game anyway, and Town's three in midfield left an inviting avenue for the Gulls' left-back Kevin Nicholson to do what he does best, keeping Stevens supplied with decent ammunition.

Stevens was a thorn in Shrewsbury's side all afternoon, and was extremely unlucky not to score his seventh goal of the season. In the 24th minute, after another quality move, his left-foot shot was heading for the top left-hand corner until Neal just tipped it over at full stretch.

Atieno, in for Howe, put in a highly effective shift, working hard and showing the touch which was important to keep those slick attacks going.

Saah, possibly a touch rusty in the opening stages, went on to give an assured display in the heart of United's defence which earned him the sponsors' man of the match award. But even Ling admitted that skipper Lee Mansell's prodigious performance in midfield would have earned his personal accolade.

United, as they have done so often during this wonderful run, gradually cranked up the pressure in the second half.

Where they had attacked mostly down the left before the interval, they switched to the right after it, with Eunan O'Kane, Morris, Mansell and right-back Joe Oastler keeping the visitors at full stretch.

A Morris-O'Kane move slipped Stevens through to force a second fine save from Neal in the 62nd minute, but, six minutes later, United finally broke through.

In a rare mistake, Neal came for and did not claim Kevin Nicholson's deep corner from the right, Stevens chipped the ball back into the middle, where Atieno headed for goal.

An hour after the match, Ling and other United officials were still looking at replays, to see whether Mark Ellis had got a touch as he tried to help Atieno's header over the line.

Ellis certainly put off two defenders who could not stop the ball crossing the line, but the final verdict was that it was Atieno's third of the season.

In the 75th minute, Atieno nearly ended the contest, heading over from Stevens' cross.

Saah and Oastler came up with key blocks, and substitute Lathaniel Rowe-Turner got in a vital tackle on winger Mark Wright. Two Shrewsbury corners in stoppage-time tweaked a few nerves.

United are up to fourth place now, only three points behind leaders Cheltenham Town, where they travel for another big "six-pointer" tomorrow.

Torquay United (4-1-4-1): Olejnik; Oastler, Saah, Ellis, Nicholson; Lathrope; Morris, O'Kane, Mansell, Stevens (Rowe-Turner 84); Atieno (McPhee 81). Substitutes (not used): Rice (gk), MacDonald, Yeoman.

Goal: Atieno 68.

Booking: Ellis.

Shrewsbury Town (4-3-1-2): Neal; Regan (Wright 84), Sharps, Grandison, Jacobson; Wroe (Taylor 89mins), Richards, D McAllister; Sawyers (Ainsworth 73); Collins, Gornell. Substitutes (not used): Bradshaw, Smith (gk).

Booking: Collins.

Referee: G Ward (Surrey).

Attendance: 2,592.