Gaffer looking to finish the season on a high
Shrewsbury Town Boss Paul Hurst is looking for his players to put on a professional performance when they take on Oxford United on Sunday.Town’s win against Southend last Saturday means they are almost assured of their League One status for next season, but Paul is looking for his players to show the right attitude and get a positive result.
“We approach the game in the same way that we have been”, Hurst told the Press.
“We won’t have any complacency or slacking off. Yes, it would take freak results for us to lose our League One status, but at the same time, every time we have a game I want us to win the game.
“Sometimes you do and sometimes you don’t, but in terms of an attitude you can have the right attitude going into a game and again it’s just another chance for me to check one or two players’ mentality.
“Are they already daydreaming about being on the beach and in the pool? Or, are they good professionals and ready to represent the football club for one last time this season and try and end on a positive note?
“Can we stay unbeaten? It’s a nice little run that the players have put together when we’ve needed the points and I’m hoping we can go to Oxford and extend that.”
Oxford however will be looking to spoil Town’s day and Paul is well aware of the threats they pose.
“I think they will be disappointed about losing the final at Wembley in the Checkatrade”, said Paul.
“Let’s not forget that they were only promoted last season, but I think with the squad that was put together by Michael Appleton, it looked like they still had a chance of the play-offs not so long ago.
“There might be an element of them being a bit disappointed that they haven’t reached those play-offs. I think you can put them on a par with the likes of Southend and Millwall, but they’ve just come up short this season.
“But, it’s the last game of the season and surely every player will want to finish on a high. Whether that is on a personal note by scoring a goal or keeping a clean-sheet, or whether that’s as a team by not going out on a damp squib.”
Meanwhile, Paul confirmed that Louis Dodds wouldn't be risked after he pulled out of the game against Southend in the warm-up, whilst two of Town's youth teamers - John McAtee and Callum Roberts - will travel down with the squad for the game.