Steve Cotterill hopes Shrewsbury can finish better than current 'false position'

Town’s 5-0 thrashing of Morecambe in midweek was the club’s biggest league win since 2014 and a victory Cotterill felt his side had been threatening.

The Shrews chief admitted his side are in the business to entertain but feels Town have played attractive football this term and wants his players to be rewarded with a League One finishing position they merit.

“That’s good, at the end of the day we’re in the entertainment business,” said Cotterill, whose side face a challenge at league leaders Rotherham tomorrow.

“I still think we’ve entertained the supporters here a lot and we haven’t won.

“People then get a little bit ‘oh you’ve got beat again’, ‘oh you haven’t scored again’, ‘oh you’ve conceded goals’ – I understand it’s part and parcel of your jobs.

“But at the end of the day you’ve got to make sure you keep the players’ heads up, keep them confident, keep working them, keep telling them to do the right things.

“Because in the end you get benefits from it. I think (with) a lot of our lads, individually and collectively, we’re in a position in the table that’s false, because I think we’ve been better than that, I think we are better than that.

“Which is why we’d like – I know we’ve got a tough run – to finish the season as high as we possibly can.”

Meanwhile, Shrewsbury academy defender Callum Wilson has earned a debut call-up for the Northern Ireland under-19s international squad.

The teenage full-back, 18, will be part of Gerard Lyttle’s squad for the Football Federations Cup, which begins in Albir, Spain, next week.

The tournament acts as preparation for European Championship qualifiers later this year. Wilson, one of three first-time call-ups, could be involved in games against Norway in Alicante on Wednesday and against Belgium and Czech Republic.

Former AFC Telford and Derby youngster Wilson, who lives in Priorslee, generally turns out for Town’s under-18s but made his senior debut in the EFL Trophy against Wolves this season. He qualifies for Northern Ireland through his dad.

He joins defenders Tom Flanagan and Aaron Pierre in winning an international call, for Northern Ireland’s senior side and Grenada respectively.

It remains to be seen whether Town’s clash against Lincoln on Saturday week will go ahead. Rules state clubs require three call-ups to request a postponement. The Imps have previously had fixtures off due to international duty, but expect only one – Lewis Fiorini with Scotland under-21s – this month, as England youth goalkeeper Josh Griffiths is injured.