Shrewsbury Town looking for mid-table push
Steve Cotterill insists Shrewsbury Town are eyeing a tilt at finishing in mid-table in the final 10 games of the season.
Town made it three games unbeaten in a week but somehow failed to claim a deserved three points having thrown the kitchen sink at Cambridge in a one-way contest at Abbey Stadium.
The visitors laid siege to the U’s penalty area, forcing 21 efforts at man-of-the-match Dimitar Mitov’s goal in another improved attacking display that just lacked a final touch.
The point increased Shrewsbury’s gap to the bottom four to eight points, but just seven points separate Cotterill’s men and 12th – and the boss says that is where his side are looking.
Asked about the gap to the bottom four widening, the manager said: “What is it (the gap) to mid-table? That’s what we’re looking at.”
Town forced countless openings on Mitov’s goal, which led a charmed life in the driving Cambridgeshire rain.
Ryan Bowman grazed the post in the first half but it was late in a dramatic finale to the second half that Cotterill’s side came on even stronger.
Daniel Udoh missed a gilt-edged opening as his diving header from inside the six-yard box flew over before the excellent Luke Leahy shot agonisingly wide of the top corner from distance.
Busy Bulgarian goalkeeper Mitov then somehow scooped out Leahy’s header before the midfielder somehow failed to bundle home from barely a yard out from Bowman’s header in the seventh minute of 10 minutes added on.
Leahy, who impressed again alongside midfielder counterpart Tyrese Fornah and a backline that secured a third clean sheet on the spin, said: “I knew that Benno (Elliott Bennett) was going to lift it in and Bowman went back post, I knew he’d head it back across.
“I’m not making excuses but the goal area’s not the best, it didn’t sort of bounce properly, it’s one of those, if I had it again I’d just chuck my whole body at it.
“But we created a lot of chances. There’s been games where we haven’t created any chances so it’s good to create a lot of chances, test their keeper.
“Marko (Marosi) has come in with a clean sheet and a clean top! So it just shows you the way the game went.”
Cotterill added: “Luke’s bailed us out many times this season with tackles, goals, headers or whatever.
“It’s just getting that touch but the pitch isn’t the best. It’s easy for me to say Luke should just tap that in but I don’t know how he sees that coming for him.
“I think so (it’s a similar story to Rotherham game last week) – there isn’t a lot wrong with us. We’ve just got to keep going and playing like that, we’re a decent side at the moment.”
The manager said his squad have been given today off following their exploits in recent weeks.
