Shrewsbury v Ipswich: Town fired up and aiming to topple table-toppers

Boss Steve Cotterill will be hoping for another positive result after his side earned a well-deserved point against Derby County on Tuesday night.

This time it is Ipswich Town’s turn to visit the Meadow.

And the Tractor Boys are the early pacesetters in the division. They are still unbeaten in League One, having won three and drawn one.

The Town boss is well aware of the challenge his side will face tomorrow, and he believes both Derby and Ipswich are Premier League clubs who will be aiming to win the division.

He said: “Derby, and Ipswich Town on Saturday, both of these sides will be looking to win this league, not just get promoted.

“They are two huge clubs. To be honest, they are Premier League clubs, that’s what they are.

“And unfortunately, they have found themselves down in League One.

“Over a period of time, the bigger clubs will start climbing back up.

“This league is absolutely jam-packed with huge clubs.

Cotterill named six substitutes on Tuesday night, and most of them were young and inexperienced at this level. Town will have to lift themselves again for the game after putting in two massive performances against Wycombe and Derby, in what is sure to be one of their hardest weeks of the season.

And Shrewsbury are waiting on the fitness of Ryan Bowman.

The forward has a back problem, but Cotterill said after the Derby game it is too early to tell if he will be able to feature tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Aiden O’Brien is set to be sidelined for six weeks after having an operation on his hip.

Cotterill is pleased with the effort and commitment his team are putting in. In all games this season, they have looked organised and well-drilled.

Derby had 75 per cent of the possession at the Meadow on Tuesday night, which is something we are likely to see again tomorrow.

Shrewsbury looked comfortable in their defensive shape and restricted their opponents to very few, if not any clear-cut chances.

Cotterill’s men will be looking to repeat this tomorrow. And just because they have less of the ball does not mean they are any less of a threat.

Town had the better chances in the second half against Derby, and maybe they should have won it right at the end.

A positive is that Daniel Udoh is getting games under his belt. The forward has had a stop-start season.

But as he gets more minutes in his legs, his sharpness will come back, and Town fans will know what a threat he will provide.

It is set to be another significant test for Town, and after two brilliant results the boss will need to refocus his troops and get them to go again.