Underdogs tag just fine by boss
Shrewsbury Town will carry the tag of underdogs into the League Two play-offs - and manager Gary Peters couldn't be happier. Shrewsbury Town will carry the tag of underdogs into the League Two play-offs - and manager Gary Peters couldn't be happier. Town are the outsiders of the four teams vying to end their season in style with promotion to League One over the next three weeks. But Peters is happy to see the bookmakers playing down his team's chances. "From the moment I walked in the club and we beat Swansea who were the League leaders in my first match, we seem to have done better as underdogs," said the Town chief. Read the full story in today's Shropshire Star
Shrewsbury are rated as 3-1 chances with Bet 365 - with their semi-final rivals MK Dons favourites to go up at 12-5.
Bristol Rovers are 5-2 shots to run out Wembley winners on May 26, while Lincoln are priced at 13-5.
But Peters is happy to see the bookmakers playing down his team's chances.
"From the moment I walked in the club and we beat Swansea who were the League leaders in my first match, we seem to have done better as underdogs," said the Town chief.
"There has been times, especially last season and even this season with the games against Wrexham and Bury, where we have been hot favourites and we have not done great.
"It's right and proper that we are in the underdogs position because we have got the least points and finished in seventh position.
"But it's certainly not a negative and the players should thrive on that. MK Dons finished 13 points ahead of us but they don't get a five-goal headstart or anything like that.
"All four teams start from a level playing field in the play-offs."
From a personal perspective, Peters is hoping to make it third time lucky in the end of season lottery.
As assistant to John Beck at Preston in 1993-4, North End lost out to Martin O'Neill's Wycombe in the final at Wembley after overturning a 2-0 first leg deficit in the semi-finals against Torquay.
Peters took sole charge at Deepdale in the following season and saw his team bow out in the semi-final stage, losing both legs by a single goal to Bury.
"In everything you do in life you always get better the more times you do it and I will certainly learn from those experiences," he added.
"I've lost in the semi-finals and the final before so hopefully I complete the set and make it third time lucky by winning them now."
Away goals will not count double in the semi-finals. If the aggregate scores are tied at the completion of the second leg, extra-time and penalties will decide who progresses to Wembley.
The fee paid to clubs in the play-offs for Sky TV coverage has yet to be finalised.
By James Garrison
