Defender Kelvin Langmead is set to reach a major landmark in his Shrewsbury Town career this weekend, more confident than ever the club are ready to make the step up to League One.

Despite not turning 24 until Monday, Langmead will make his 200th appearance for Shrewsbury if he plays any part in Saturday’s home game with Morecambe.

He joined from Preston in November 2004 with the club haunted by the prospect of relegation and a return to non-League football.

But, after seeing a major transformation on and off the pitch in the last four-and-a-half-years, the club’s longest serving player believes the time has come for Town to grasp their shot at glory.

“The whole cub has completely changed since I arrived with the new ground and everything is in place now for the club to get promoted and push on,” said Langmead.

“The chairman is ambitious, the manager is ambitious and the players are ambitious and want to test themselves at a higher level.

“We have now got eight games to try and finish the job off.”

Langmead’s career path has also switched tact during his time in Shropshire after converting from a striker to a defender.

“It’s been a huge change but it has been a challenge I have enjoyed,” he added.

“I’m nowhere near where I want to be yet and I want to keep learning and cut out mistakes.

“But I’m very proud of the fact that I am close to getting to 200 games for Shrewsbuy.

“Shrewsbury has become a big part of my life and I wish that to continue.”

A busy evening of League Two action last night wasn’t enough to dislodge Shrewsbury from the play-off positions after Bradford lost 4-1 at Bournemouth.

But Gillingham moved into the top three with a 1-0 victory at Notts County while Chesterfield’s triumph at Brentford enhanced their hopes of a charge into the play-offs.

By JAMES GARRISON