Paul Hurst hoping Shaun Whalley can provide spark for Shrewsbury Town
Boss Paul Hurst is anticipating counting on winger Shaun Whalley as Shrewsbury Town hunt for a surge in form.
The Scouse flier started back-to-back games for the first time this season as he was included from the off against Rochdale and Fleetwood Town.
It has been a largely forgettable season for the injury-hit 29-year-old, who is a player highly-rated by Hurst going back to the pairs' non-league days.
When fit, Whalley has made an impact this season. His one goal came in the 98th minute, the second in a 2-0 Greenhous Meadow victory over Oxford United.
But after making his way through the busy festive period – which yielded no points for Shrews – the boss is hopeful a run of games will follow. "It's understandable at the moment if he fades in and out of it but he can only be a positive for us moving forward," he said.
"Whether that's starting games for us or coming off the bench for a cameo as he's done a couple of times, like where he scored against Oxford and against Bristol Rovers where he took us up the pitch when the game was stretched. He'll be disappointed he didn't score at Rochdale, we certainly could have gone in front early on through him.
"He didn't quite take them but the way he runs at players makes it difficult for the opposition, he puts them on the back foot. Hopefully he can stay fit and get more minutes."
Hurst takes his charges to Swindon on Saturday, the Wiltshire side are 19th in League One, just four points ahead of Salop, who remain in the drop zone.
After games against top six sides Bolton, Rochdale and Fleetwood over the Christmas and New Year period, the Town chief conceded that matches against sides around them in the table carry extra significance.
He added: "It's looking that way because we keep losing against the better teams – but only just!
"That overall is a positive. But if the trend continues then games against the teams around us will become doubly important.
"We can compete but we have to be bang at it, in my opinion, from the first whistle to the final whistle because I don't think we're ever going to be that much better than the opposition. But they've shown they can do it."
Meanwhile, keeper Shaun Rowley has returned to Town after his loan spell at Chorley.
