Shrewsbury vs Doncaster - Match preview

Manager Steve Cotterill could not hide his sadness for his side, who fought so bravely to draw level from two goals down at high-flying Sunderland – only to concede a stoppage-time sickener.

Fortunately for Town, the opportunity to respond arrives swiftly, at home to lowly and helpless Doncaster.

Shrewsbury have the added motivation that they can all-but condemn Doncaster to relegation from League One with a home victory this afternoon.

A defeat could leave Rovers, managed by former academy coach Gary McSheffrey, six points clear of safety with just six points to play for and a vastly inferior goal difference.

While seeing off a rival will not be a chief motivation, Cotterill will want to ensure his side are not turned over by struggling Donny twice in a single campaign.

Rovers, previously managed by former Shrews midfielder Richie Wellens before his sacking in early December, beat Town 1-0 in South Yorkshire later that month.

Cotterill felt Salop were hard done by in the north east on Good Friday. Having recovered from their nightmare start at the Stadium of Light, the visitors were good value for a point from their resilience and grit in fighting back to pull level.

The Shrews boss is looking for his side to channel their disappointment at a last-gasp defeat for their penultimate home fixture of the season, where three points can put Town in a position to close the gap on the sides above them to finish the campaign.

“We’ve got to be ready, to have rested and recuperated,” Cotterill said.

“We had to make sure we (the players) eat right for the game and take, if we can, the disappointment of Friday’s game into this one.

“Hopefully because it’s a Bank Holiday we have a right big crowd behind us to give the boys a bit of energy that Sunderland fans gave their lads then.”

The Town manager added of his side’s performance on Good Friday: “I think they have been showing it for some time.

“But I think we’ve paid for the knitting together of everybody at the beginning of the season.

“If you take away the defeats we had at the beginning of the season we’d be somewhere near the top 10 now.

“But it’s ifs and buts, it doesn’t count for anything really. We’ve just got to learn from that performance on Friday and hopefully they will do.”

Cotterill is likely to face a selection dilemma against Rovers, Key regular Elliott Bennett’s first-half injury at Sunderland appeared serious and it seems unless that the experienced wing-back will be able to feature today.

Bennett’s replacement Josh Daniels, 26, gave an impressive hour’s display against the Black Cats on Friday afternoon.

The Shrews boss was disappointed in the manor of the hosts’ last-gasp winner, as Jack Clarke was afforded too much space to cross by Daniels before Nathan Broadhead took advantage of a mix up in communication between substitute Aaron Pierre and goalkeeper Marko Marosi.

But, that telling moment aside, Northern Irishman Daniels, who has been on the fringes for the majority of the campaign, gave a solid and busy performance.

Experienced former Blackburn and Norwich wideman Bennett has been an ever present this season but Daniels, out of contract in the summer, showed his capability at wing-back once more in the north east. He will hope for the nod against Doncaster this afternoon and a chance to prove himself once more in front of home supporters.