Steve Cotterill delighted for Shrewsbury's returning hero Shaun Whalley
Manager Steve Cotterill revealed his delight for Shrewsbury star Shaun Whalley after banishing memories of the long and lonely road back to fitness.
Whalley was the Salop hero once more on Saturday having emerged from the bench to crash in a superb strike to earn Town a point against Ipswich.
The 34-year-old endured more than four months out of action with a muscle injury and won praise from his boss on the golden moment.
“It was a great moment for him and a great moment for the dressing room,” Cotterill said of the fans’ favourite, who is a popular member of the dressing room.
“At the end of the day he’s been out injured for a long time, it’s one of those long, lonely roads back when you’re out for as long as he has been.
“He trained very well last week, probably the best he’s been in training, even though he’s been involved as a sub – I think Shaun would be the first to say he’s gone on as a sub in the last couple and not done very well.
“But he more than made up for it on Saturday.”
It was just Whalley’s third goal of a frustrating season and first for almost six months.
The Town boss added: “Shaun lands on second balls, I knew he was going to land on something, which is why I put him on, and then I hoped that the execution was going to be exactly like it was.
“To actually do that – number one you have to have the talent to see it, then execute it and not only get it on target, but get it past the goalkeeper who looks about seven foot, he’s huge.
“It was a great strike in a narrow game. We didn’t defend badly and haven’t kept a clean sheet.”
