Shrewsbury Town striker Daniel Udoh urged to trust his ability

Town strikers have found goals difficult to come by this season. Udoh, Curtis Main, Rekeil Pyke and Leon Clarke have seven goals between them this term.

Udoh, who has scored four goals in 34 appearances – including 19 starts – passed up a great opportunity to be a late Shrewsbury hero in the 1-1 draw at Charlton last weekend, missing an opportunity to get a shot on goal away while well-placed.

Assistant boss Wilbraham, the scorer of 149 goals in his playing days, called on former Telford hot-shot Udoh to have faith in his weaker left foot, after experienced Charlton captain Jason Pearce snuffed out one of Saturday’s late golden chances by forcing the striker away from his right side.

“It was a great lay-off from David Davis, I think he put both chances through, you fancy Edo (Dave Edwards) all day long, from the side it looked like he went for power but speaking to him he said it bobbled up, it was unlucky,” Wilbraham said of Town’s late flurry of chances at The Valley.

“Dan couldn’t get it out his feet, maybe he should’ve hit it earlier when the defender was off-balance and was trying to show him on to his left.

“Dan’s got a great left-foot finish, we see it in training, he just needs to trust his technique there and get a shot off, because it could ricochet and go in, he just needs to get the shot off earlier.”

Main, a free agent signing in January, has largely held down the central striking role since checking in but Udoh has been handed a couple of starts in recent weeks and is regularly praised for his tireless work-rate.

Wilbraham hailed the relentless work load from Udoh and Shaun Whalley in the midweek win at Rochdale last week.

Udoh’s Addicks opening, five minutes from the end of normal time, came and went before fellow substitute Dave Edwards skied another glorious opening and Whalley volleyed wide.

Wilbraham said of Cotterill’s decision to make changes in attack for the trip to Charlton: “Shaun, Dan Udoh and David Davis were not dropped by any means, it was kind of a chance for the other lads to step in and try to do what they did last Tuesday at Rochdale.

“I thought the lads that came in tried to do that as well, it was a great squad effort from everybody. Shaun, Dan and David knew they weren’t dropped, I spoke to them and it was just a case of letting lads come in who were fresh and put the same shift in that the others did on Tuesday.”