Shrewsbury Town striker Max Mata relishing competition for places
Max Mata is relishing competition for places at Shrewsbury Town and feels goals will come in time.
The Kiwi is one of four options to play up front for Matt Taylor’s Shrews something he believes is healthy.
The forward is not available for the game against Cambridge this weekend as he is on international duty with New Zealand so either Kieran Phillips or Ryan Bowman will get the nod in his place this weekend.
“It is a fantastic thing,” the striker said when asked about competition among the Shrews strikers. “It is the harsh reality of the game we play.
“Everyone is doing their best to put a shirt on, it only makes you better.
“It is difficult sometimes when you see the other person has beaten you to it but at the same time it builds your character, it makes you stronger it makes you hungrier and sharper.
“Having competition is really important it is healthy as well, as it only makes you better.”
Mata signed for Shrews from Sligo Rovers in the summer, but the forward had a frustrating start to life in Shropshire as he battled to get a visa before picking up a slight calf strain in training. That calf strain meant he missed another game before he eventually made his debut against Fleetwood in the 1-0 win.
Since then he is yet to score his first goal in a Shrewsbury shirt, but the youngster is not worried about it saying goals will come in time.
He said: “I think goals will come with time, with the more opportunities that present themselves.
“One is going to hit the net eventually, sometimes things take longer than you want them to and sometimes things come straight away.
“We will just have to wait and see I guess.”
Dan Udoh is the only Shrewsbury player this season to have scored more than once after his winner against Northampton Town on Saturday – putting an end to their run of seven games without a win.
Bowman is the only other forward to have got on the scoresheet so far this season – he scored Shrews’ first goal of the season on the opening day against Cheltenham.
Town will be hoping that whoever comes in for Mata at the weekend can get among the goals.
