Winger Marc Pugh is hoping to get the chance to unlock his former club’s defence tomorrow – just days before he is given the key to the door.

Pugh turns 21 on Wednesday and is hoping for the perfect early birthday present by earning a place in the starting line-up against Bury.

The arrival of Michael Burns on loan from Manchester United has provided extra competition in wide areas at Oteley Road.

And Pugh will be hoping he doesn’t pay the price for a poor first half performance against Notts County on Monday, which saw him replaced by James Constable at the midway point of the Bank Holiday stalemate.

“It’s always disappointing to be substituted but I have to hold my hands up and say it wasn’t my best performance and I deserved to be brought off,” he said.

“I’m a young lad and the most important thing for me at the moment is to get the consistency.

“One game I can be very good, the next average and the next not so good so I want to get myself some consistency to my performances.

“It’s always nice to play against your former club and the Bury game is massive to me so hopefully I can get the chance to play and help us get the three points because we are desperately in need of a win.

“Being at Bury was good for me because it gave me Football League experience and then the opportunity of a great move to Shrewsbury arose.

“I still speak to a lot of the lads up there and they are a good footballing team.

“It’s just a shame they haven’t really got the finances to enable them to progress further up the Leagues.”

His Bury interests now firmly in the past, Pugh is fully focused on developing his own Town career and is hoping a few tips from manager Paul Simpson will stand him in good stead.

“The manager was a great winger in his time so hopefully I can learn a few things from him to take into my game,” he said.

“He’s come in and done very well. He’s played and managed at a higher level and certainly knows what it’s all about.”

By James Garrison