Defender handed new deal

Shrewsbury Town have extended the contract of young defender Luke Jones as they prepare for a return to League Two action at Boston tomorrow.

Former Blackburn youngster Jones has followed in the footsteps of fellow teenager Chris Humphrey in signing a 12-month extension to a deal which originally ran until the end of this season.

The 19-year-old made his full Football League debut in December's 3-3 draw at Accrington Stanley after arriving a month earlier, and has gone on to make two further starts in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

"We said to Luke and Chris when they came to the club that they would have contracts until the end of the season and if they did well, we would extend them," said Peters."They have both got good potential and we wanted to make sure we sorted them out.

"Luke is a work in progress and I don't think we've really seen him tested yet. He's always done enough to stop people getting past him and he passes the ball quite well.

"He's a bit of a throwback because he just wants to defend, kill the situation and give it to someone else."

Town will tomorrow conclude a frustrating spell which has seen them play just two matches in the last five weeks.

But, despite Boston crashing to a 6-0 defeat to Grimsby in their last home game, Peters is expecting anything but a straight-forward assignment.

Physical

"They are going to be a difficult side to play against," he said. "I know about their League position and all that business but it's never easy to go to Boston.

"It's going to be physical because they are scrapping and having a go.

"Just because someone scored six against them in their last home game doesn't mean it's going to be easy for us.

"They probably feel they have let their people down and will do everything in their power to put things right.

"How the break affects us remains to be seen. If we go out and play really well, people will say we are fresher than the other teams and if we don't do so well, people will say we are stale."

Shrewsbury will be without the suspended Michael Symes, injured Steve Leslie and Lee Canoville - ruled out through a gentleman's agreement - for tomorrow's trip to Boston.

* Tickets for the two forthcoming local derbies with Wrexham - which are both all-ticket to all supporters - are on sale between 9am and 12noon from the Gay Meadow reception tomorrow.

There is also a sale in the club shop between 10am and 4pm.