Shrewsbury v Gillingham preview: Max O'Leary and Ro-Shaun Williams in clean sheet target

The goalkeeper revealed he and team-mate and defender Williams are striving for a certain number of shut-outs after an impressive start to the campaign.

Bristol City loanee O’Leary, 23, has been between the sticks for each of Town’s 12 League One games this season and has managed six clean sheets, writes Lewis Cox.

He is aiming to make that seven in 13 for Sam Ricketts’ men tonight against Gillingham, who are yet to win on the road this season.

“Me and Ro-Shaun Williams have actually got a little target, I’m not going to say how many, but we have a number we’ve looked at,” said O’Leary.

“We’ll be ticking them off when we can.

“You’ve always got to aim for something and be ambitious with it. We’re aiming towards that.

“You’ve got to have something to build from and I think we’ve got that as a defensive unit and as a team, it’s a team effort.

“It’s not just the back lads, it’s everyone. We’ve got that good mentality of building off a solid platform.”

O’Leary hailed the impact of the centre-halves in front of him. Williams, Aaron Pierre, Omar Beckles and Ethan Ebanks-Landell have all been very impressive this season.

He added: “They’re all solid defenders and can go forward as well, you saw that as the game (at Lincoln) started to open up. They were driving with the ball, especially against 10 men. They’re great defenders and have good all-round games. We understand each other a lot more now.

“I see it on the training pitch (too), they’re making tackles and blocks. It gives you confidence that you might not have to do as much, and the less I have to do the better for the team.”

The goalkeeper has, at times, been untested thanks to the strengths of those in front of him, but O’Leary has made some big interventions.

He preserved Town’s point at Rotherham with a late save before a dramatic stoppage time one-on-one stop to ensure victory at Tranmere. Even on Friday, O’Leary got down low to the corner to keep out Lincoln’s first shot on target in the 78th minute.

The Bath-born shot-stopper has shown impressive concentration levels.

He added: “We’re training for that one moment. You make 200 saves in a training session but in a game you might make one. It’s training for that one moment, the one knockout punch.” Ricketts’ men are three places and three points better off than Steve Evans’ visitors.

Evans is likely to receive his usual frosty welcome from Town fans.

The Shrews boss has not dismissed the Kent visitors despite their toothless away record.

He feels the Priestfield club have high aims this season. The boss said: “I’m sure the thinking behind appointing Steve Evans was to have a good go at promotion.

“He’s got a good record. He always gets a team going pretty well. He has pedigree to be successful in this league. They’re high energy, awkward and niggly, if you come out with a positive result you’ve certainly earned it.”

Town, who netted seven goals without response in this fixture 11 years ago, have scored just 10 in 12 games this season, failing to register in seven of those outings, a statistic they will hope to improve.

Predicted line-up:

Shrewsbury Town (3-5-2):

O'Leary; Williams, Pierre, Beckles; Love, Norburn (c), Goss, Laurent, Giles; Udoh, Okenabirhie.

Subs: Murphy, Golbourne, Walker, Edwards, Thompson, Whalley, Cummings.