Peter Kitchen: From Shrewsbury Town's football skills to the county's great loss

It took a heartbreaking late own goal from Jermaine Grandison to see a Chelsea team which is four points clear at the top of the Premier League to get past Micky Mellon's plucky Shrews for a place in the last eight of the Capital One Cup.

Okay, it wasn't Jose Mourinho's first choice team. But for League Two Shrewsbury to push a side containing star names like Didier Drogba and Petr Cech all the way is some achievement.

I can't begin to imagine what a moment it was for striker Andy Mangan when he drew Shrewsbury level and raised the very real prospect of the game going to extra time. Drogba himself paid Town a glowing tribute, describing them as a "fantastic team and opponent", while Mourinho himself said he was prepared for the extra 30 minutes.

The whole experience – earlier victories over Blackpool, Leicester City and Norwich and the media attention in the build-up to the Chelsea tie – has been wonderful exposure for the club, the town and Shropshire.

The team has continued to challenge at the top of League Two despite the potential distraction of the cup run. And they have restored pride after the harrowing experience of last season's relegation.

The future truly is bright for Shrewsbury Town – but the players have to build on their experiences in the league cup if they are to maintain their promotion challenge and make it a season to remember.

Remembering a giant of Shropshire journalism

For us journalists in Shropshire it has been a moving past 10 days – we've had to say goodbye to one of our own.

Russell Mulford died last week after spending more than six decades of his life working in journalism.

We all have our memories of Russell, who was one of the most well known faces around town.

• See also: Russell Mulford: Remembering a giant of Shropshire journalism

I even found myself quoted on a journalism news websites tribute to Russell – though quite how Russell would react to people paying their respects through a tweet is anyone's guess.

When I moved to Shropshire more than nine years ago, Russell was still heading up Shrewsbury Press Service and dealing with publicity for the Flower Show. He was also the go-to man for any story about the railways, which were such a passion of his.

I'll always remember Russell as a truly respected man for not only his work as a journalist, but for his integrity as a man. He's set the standard for all of us to aspire to.

Peter Kitchen

Follow Peter on Twitter @pkitchen_Star