Paul Hurst hails Shrewsbury Town chief Roland Wycherley

Shrewsbury all-but guaranteed their League One place for next season with a memorable 1-0 win against Southend, meaning only a freakish set of results would put Town back in trouble.

Junior Brown's second-half header sparked wild scenes of celebration on full-time at Greenhous Meadow, where a crowd of 7,341 burst onto the Meadow pitch and lauded Hurst, who has picked up 11 league wins from 30 games since taking charge.

And the boss was keen to praise his working conditions, claiming Shrews chairman Wycherley may have been a 'nervous wreck' ahead of the final home clash – but has made his six months in Shropshire plain-sailing.

He compared the conditions to his previous job with Grimsby Town at Blundell Park.

"At my previous club there was always an element of feeling like you're fighting for your job, in truth," said Hurst.

"Here, I've never had that and I give a lot of credit to the chairman.

"I hope he doesn't mind me sharing it but on Friday he was a nervous wreck, and I'm trying to tell him to relax and what will be will be.

"He certainly can't affect it, I can slightly and as Brian Caldwell said the other day, I can only do so much.

"It's about what's on the pitch. You hope to get decisions and not really bad ones like we've had."

Hurst takes his side to Oxford next Sunday as the curtain comes down on a rollercoaster campaign.

Town, who climbed above both Bury and Gillingham to 18th, can still finish as high as 16th with a victory on Sunday – but everyone connected will be delighted to escape the bottom four.

"The chairman has never once made me feel under any pressure whatsoever in any kind of way," added the Town chief.

"At the minute we've got a good relationship. And I say at the minute, because probably at some point it nearly always ends up in a parting of ways.

"I just really like him. He's been great since I've come in and hopefully he can relax a little bit more and maybe have a glass of wine or two."