Town striker's secret is just not to think

The French forward took his goal tally for the season to six with the brilliant individual strike which earned Shrewsbury three crucial points at Rodney Parade.

After receiving the ball by the corner flag, he tricked his way past three defenders before firing home from an acute angle.

And the former Tranmere star felt that not over complicating things was the key.

"When I got the ball I was thinking about absolutely nothing," Akpa Akpro said.

"That was the difference. Normally I think too much but this time I didn't think – I just went for it.

"I felt I only really had one option. I just thought to myself: 'I have to beat these defenders and score.'

"It was a great feeling to score, especially the winner. It was a good goal and is great for my confidence."

The win saw Town return to the top of the League Two table, the first time they have reached the summit in 2015.

But while Akpa Akpro is delighted to be top of the pile, he warned his teammates that it comes at a cost.

"We are back on top, which is great, but it is harder to stay at the top than get to the top," he said.

"It's a big challenge because every team wants to knock you off. A lot of teams have set up very defensively against us this season and they might do that even more now.

"But we have shown a lot of spirit. We've proven we have the fight needed to stay there."

Meanwhile, the striker is relishing the prospect of playing with fellow countryman Mikael Mandron who signed on loan from Sunderland last week.

"It's great to have another Frenchman here," Akpa Akpro said.

"He did a great job against Newport and really I just came on and finished the job he started."