Martin Wild speaks to Richard Walker

Richard Walker nodded in agreement when I suggested to him in the player's tunnel, that it was a point gained in the goalless draw with Lincoln this afternoon.

"For us the situation's exactly the same. Nothing changes and we have to go to Dagenham and win next week," he said. "Even if we'd won today it still would have been the same, so it's a really big week for us ahead of a massive game. But what a game to go into! I'm sure we'll take a massive following with us and the lads are all really looking forward to it."

Walker saw around half an hour's action today after coming on for Nick Chadwick. The striker, along with Grant Holt (twice), had been guilty of missing some glorious openings in the first half that would have made for a much less tense afternoon - especially in the closing stages.

"We feel we should have won the game with the chances we created," said the 31 year old. "I don't really remember them creating too much to be honest. We're disappointed that we haven't got the three points, but it now just comes down to one huge game where we will give it our all, and hope that will be good enough.

"What a fantastic finish to the season. It's a really big day for everyone involved at the club. The pressure's on them in many ways because a draw will be enough for them, and sometimes those kind of things can work against you. They might be tempted to sit back and get the draw they need, or they might come out and go for the win. It's difficult because they're the ones in the play-off place going into the game, so the pressure is more on them than us. We can go there and play our football, and if we play to our potential we are capable of beating anybody"

With that in mind, I wondered how Salop might approach the game knowing that a point would consign them to another season of League Two football. It was a win or bust situation, so how did Walker feel Town might set themselves out at 3 o'clock next week?

"Well I don't think we'll be able to go all gung-ho in the first half especially," he said. "We'll try and play the way we always play, and if that's not working by half-time, I'm sure things will change and we'll give it a right go because we do need goals at the end of the day. If we do get the first one next week that will be huge because we do have players here, who can go on and win from there."

Now, a goal for Shrewsbury might not have changed anything in the grand scheme of things - Dagenham's superior goal difference would still have left Simpson's side requiring a victory in East London. But Luke Daniels' late save from a Stefan Oakes free-kick was vital or the season would have ended at the Prostar today.

"Luke's been superb all season," said Walker. "I think sometimes people forget how young he is. He's a very good goalkeeper, and although he might make the odd mistake now and then, show me a goalkeeper that doesn't make them. He's been on his toes at the end there to keep us in it, and I'm sure he'll be doing all he can to keep another clean sheet next week."

The performances have been of a much more consistent nature over the last six weeks or so, but the results haven't been reflective of the player's best efforts.

"That's been the most disappointing thing," said Walker, whose year long loan deal from Bristol Rovers will soon be at an end. "The performances have been excellent recently - even away from home where we've only won twice all season. But everything that has happened so far this season, the highs and the lows, can all be forgotten as we come down to this one 90 minute game like you said, and what a reward at the end of it."

After a rampaging campaign at home this season, how disappointing was it for the players to end the season with four successive draws on their own turf?

"I don't think anyone can predict the way this league has gone this season. So many twists and turns, so many ups and downs, nothing should surprise you really. Every single week there's results in this league that you don't expect and that's one of the joys of being a supporter I suppose. It's a shame we haven't won a couple of those drawn games because they could have made all the difference."

So, given the nature of the amount of surprises this season, would it be too much to expect Richard Walker to weave some more Wembley play-off magic, to the benefit of Town this time, on May 23rd?

"That would be fantastic," he smiled. "It's amazing how things turn round in this game. I'd love to do it again. There's no better place than Wembley to score goals, and to get promoted there is the best way to do it. I truly believe we have the squad to achieve it, but there's the little matter of next week to take care of first, before we start talking about the play-offs as a reality rather than a dream. We're full of confidence. We know that only a win will do so we'll go for it and give it our best shot."