Dave Edwards: Shaun Whalley is who'd be on the back of my shirt!

I was chuffed to see us chalk up that huge win and that much-coveted first clean sheet of the season against MK Dons, which should be a massive point moving forward for Marko Marosi and the defence.

It felt very much like a performance from when Steve Cotterill first came in, where we just needed to win games of football, it wasn’t about creating a legacy of playing, just needing results.

It was about not being beat, defend for our lives, let them have the ball – which can be frustrating for home fans watching – but it was needs-must and a best way to get a result.

Then it came down a key moment for that man Shaun.

People may start to think about writing Shaun off with his age, but he’s very much like a Jamie Vardy in League One, a similar build, you can see those players play for a bit longer and never lose that pace.

Shaun is one that fans can affiliate themselves with. It feels like Town fans don’t have many others to have on the back of their shirts – I remember when I was young there was always players I loved, it was first Tommy Lynch and Dave Walton, Ian Stevens as the striker after Carl Griffiths just before him, then later on Richard Scott became my favourite. Walton’s shirt number was 10 at centre-half, which is mad! I loved Darren Currie too – he set me up for my first Luton goal.

There haven’t been too many in recent years so it’s great it’s Shaun dragging us through at the minute. It was a vital goal and a very good goal, particularly with Dan Udoh’s build-up too. I spoke to Shaun a lot in recent years and to see how much he’s improved, his enthusiasm in training each day, and the quality he possesses, I just can’t believe he hasn’t played at a higher level. It’s an absolute travesty.

He wants to leave a legacy here, it meant the world to him to be voted in team of the decade a little while ago, but the way he’s been versatile in recent seasons – he should have no right to be in the team with wing-backs, but he’s forced in with his attitude, ability and character.

Saturday maybe showed where we are as a club and team, knowing they are going to be better in possession, so we were happy to concede that and hit on the counter.

The main stat in the scoreline went in our favour which is all that mattered. It’d be interested to know what the manager’s thoughts are on how our style will pan out for the season.

We may have surrendered having more of the ball in the last few weeks, admitted that identity might not work for us now, and attempted otherwise as it’s a results business and you only have so much time.

Maybe he thinks the best way forward will to be resolute defensively, be hard to beat, try more for those clean sheets that eventually came on Saturday and hit teams on the break, as we do have pace and power.

The win eased some pressure and a positive result at Oxford this evening will do that further ahead of a big old home game against Cambridge on Saturday.

If we hadn’t picked up a win that fixture might have felt like a do-or-die game. But it’s important we back up MK Dons with more points. The Kassam hasn’t been a happy hunting ground, I remember the manager being so disappointed with the way we lost there 4-1 in April, where we conceded some really soft goals. Here’s hoping for better tonight!