Steve Cotterill praises 'outstanding' Shrewsbury
Steve Cotterill felt his Shrewsbury Town side were 'outstanding' in their impressive efforts to bloody the nose of League One leaders Rotherham.
Town almost blew the Millers away in the second half at Montgomery Waters Meadow, but were denied a memorable victory by the woodwork and a string of fine Josh Vickers saves.
The goalless draw still made it four points in two games for Cotterill's side, who increased the gap to the dropzone to seven points in the process.
Paul Warne's visitors were the better side in the first period and could have edged ahead, but they were certainly pleased to head back to South Yorkshire with a point following Town's second-half onslaught.
Cotterill said: "I like Rotherham, I like what they're about, I like their manager, I like their coaching staff, I like their players.
"They never give up, never give in, on another night - I know it's one about taking chances - but in the second half certainly I thought we were outstanding.
"And playing against the best team in the league. You don't get to be how many points clear they are without doing something right, so good luck and well done to them.
"They battled hard for a point tonight, but I thought our lads were outstanding, I'm really pleased with them."
The manager alluded to some half-time demands when adding: "Things went on in the game, there were five things I'd written on the board that we need to do better as there was only one that we didn't.
"I thought if we could do them better we could win the game, and the last one was obviously get the finish off.
"They tried, they tried to get the finish, winning isn't everything but trying to win is and we try that in every game, it might be tactically different in some games, but you can't open that back door and open up good teams."
Left wing-back George Nurse almost scored a goal for the ages as his 30-yard piledriver cracked the post, from which Matty Pennington almost converted the rebound.
Town went close on a number of other occasions, through Luke Leahy, Daniel Udoh, Tom Bloxham and Nurse again.
"Certainly Nursey's shot, there's not a goalkeeper in the world (who would save that) - even the goalkeeper for them tonight, who was outstanding and made three or four great saves, the rebound for a start.
"He was probably the best player on the pitch, because he had the biggest affect on the game and scoreline.
"I'm really pleased for our lads but so disappointed for them they haven't got the scoreline they deserved.
"But it's swings and roundabouts in this game, you've got to move on quickly, you might get three points in another game before the end of the season where we haven't deserved three points.
"We've drawn and lost games 1-0 recently we could've easily won. But we were tremendous tonight."
Cotterill, whose side remain 17th ahead of an away trip to Cambridge on Saturday, saw his side make it back-to-back clean sheets.
He added: "A lot gets talked about of us defensively.
"It's how you defend from the front as a team that stops opportunity. We very rarely do any back three or back five work.
"I bet you there hasn't been five times this season where I've worked with a back three or a back five. But they were good, positional sense was good, reading of the game, they rarely get any surprises."
The manager revealed midfielder David Davis has learned he will go under the knife next Monday for an operation to repair a ruptured ligament in his ankle, as well as possible metatarsal damage.
Davis limped off of the previous home game against Portsmouth seven days earlier will miss the remainder of the season.
