Shrewsbury focused despite freeze
Shrewsbury Town are preparing for tomorrow’s trip to Peterborough United to go ahead – despite freezing weather threatening a call-off.
The temperature was minus six Celsius for Steve Cotterill and his players when they arrived for training on Thursday morning.
And so the boss made arrangements for them to use the 4G pitch at Montgomery Waters Meadow to help them prepare for the clash against Posh.
The weather has barely risen above freezing across the UK in the last fortnight, and although it is forecast to be warmer over the weekend, it would not be a surprise to see the game postponed.
But that is out of the Town boss’s control, and he said his side are expecting to play and preparing for a tough game.
He said: “You have to prepare as if the game is going to be on. We are expecting the game to be on.
“They are on a bit of a run at the moment – but those runs can happen either way.
“They have been on this run, but they are still sixth in the table. They are a good side.
“We just have to make sure we are on it, and some of the things we did well in the last game, we have to make sure we do well again.”
The cold weather was an issue last weekend before Town’s game against Bolton Wanderers, which they went on to win thanks to a late goal from Chey Dunkley.
The ground staff had covered the playing surface in preparation for the game, and the pitch passed an inspection two hours before kick-off.
The pitch at Peterborough has been undercover this week to try to get the game on, and Cotterill said Shrews have had to adapt their plans accordingly due to the conditions at their training ground.
Cotterill continued: “Training has to be tapered a little bit because you can’t go and train on a rock-hard pitch that we have had on the training ground.
“You can’t train on something that is minus-six, you can’t do that, and it felt like minus-10 as well.
“I looked at my phone, and I would not have disagreed with it.
“We have great access to a 4G pitch, and it is not ideal, but when you look at what we have been able to do this morning – it is ideal compared to what we would have been able to do if we hadn’t had it here.”
