Chey Dunkley praises Steve Cotterill's preparation for Shrewsbury Town's solid opener

Salop looked well-drilled at the Mazuma Stadium last weekend – keeping their first clean sheet of the campaign.

During pre-season they kept clean sheets against Cardiff and AFC Telford.

And even though they let three in against Championship outfit Burnley, Shrews put in a good display.

Dunkley, who penned a two-year deal at Montgomery Waters Meadow after being released by Sheffield Wednesday, has looked comfortable since slotting into a new-look back three alongside Tom Flanagan and Matthew Pennington.

And the Wolverhampton-born defender has said it is down to the work done on the training ground by Cotterill that they have been so well organised at the start of the season.

He said: “We’ve been working hard in pre-season.

“We’re always doing extensive work and the gaffer’s been working hard for us to get better not just defensively but offensively too.

“Hopefully, that can continue.

“I’m playing with some good players, so that’s always going to help me and help me with confidence.

“We got a clean sheet in the last game, and I’m a defender first so that’s always the aim, and I’m delighted we’ve started with that.”

Salop were taking on Accrington Stanley today in their first game of the season at the Meadow. And the boss highlighted the importance of being well coached, and stated that for any team wishing to be successful, it is important they are organised well.

Cotterill said that having players with lots of ability is rarely enough.

He said: “Any team that wants to be successful has to be organised unless they have a bucket load of players that are playing well below their abilities, and they can just play off the cuff.

“So, I don’t feel as though any time I have been here that a team can just go out here Monday to Friday and train by playing a five aside and then playoff the cuff on a Saturday. I don’t think any team since I have been here is good enough to do that.

“In fact, I don’t think that any side in the division is good enough, so you have to be organised.”

Last season Town conceded 51 goals in their 46 games, a statistic which rivalled most of the sides in the top half of the division. And Cotterill’s men managed to keep 14 clean sheets, something they will be hoping to better this term.

But despite Salop looking good at the back, the Shrewsbury Town boss revealed they do more work on creating chances, and there is lots for players to consider when they are on the pitch.

Cotterill added: “But organised doesn’t just mean defending, it means knowing what you do when you cross the halfway line.

“So I would rather put it down as coached rather than organised.

“Organised makes it sound like you are good defensively, it is easier to be a spoiler in a game than it is to be a creator.

“We do more creative work than we do defensive work.”