Rodman pleased with goal and with the 3 points
Shrewsbury Town continued their strong start to the 2017/18 campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win over AFC Wimbledon on Saturday afternoon.
Attacking midfielder Alex Rodman netted the only goal of the game as he applied the finishing touch to a fine flowing move in the eighth minute, to ultimately hand Town their second SkyBet League One win of the season.
It marked Rodman’s first goal of the campaign, and after the match he admitted he was delighted with Town’s start to the season.
“It’s a really encouraging start to the season,” he told reporters. “We’ve put in three really good performances in the last three games.
“I thought we played some good stuff in the first-half and at half-time we thought we could’ve been out of sight. We had a couple of chances, we hit the post, and had a few other chances that on another day we might have buried.”
The 30-year-old also revealed he was pleased to get off the mark, and praised Shaun Whalley’s cross for his goal.
“It was a great ball in to be fair,” he continued. “As soon as it left Shaun’s foot I didn’t think anyone was going to track me, I managed to follow the flight of it and nudge it in.
“It was nice to get off the mark today, the gaffer’s been onto me to score more. I’m just glad I am scoring a few – I scored a few in pre-season – but I’m glad to have scored when it matters.”
Rodman joined Paul Hurst’s side from Notts County in last season’s January transfer window, and he was also keen to emphasise that Salop are now reaping the rewards of a tough pre-season.
“I think we look good as a unit from one to 11,” Rodman said. “Defensively we look fit and strong, and I think we feel good on the pitch, there’s a real confidence in the team at the moment.
“There’s a lot of athleticism in the team, and I think you’d be hard pressed to find a more athletic team or a fitter team than us at the moment.
“So that’s an added benefit going into games and we’ve played some exciting football on the break, and we’ve got a lot of ability in the team as well, so if we can put those two together we’ll be in good shape.”
However, despite Rodman’s obvious delight in victory, he was also conscious that the hard work had only just begun and that he was looking forward to facing Rochdale at the Montgomery Waters Stadium next Saturday.
“It’s a great start but we’ll keep our feet on the ground because we haven’t achieved anything yet,” he added. “But I’m quietly positive of where we can go.
“Rochdale are a good team – they pass the ball really well so it’ll be a tough game. But we’ll set up this week and look to take the three points at home next weekend.”