Shropshire Star

Mat Sadler reckons Paul Hurst is in for a selection headache

MAT SADLER believes boss Paul Hurst faces a welcome selection headache when Shrewsbury Town head to AFC Wimbledon on Saturday.

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The club captain has been encouraged with how Town’s new-look squad have quickly gelled and believes there is plenty more to come.

Town kicked off their League One campaign with a 1-0 win over Northampton last weekend and then gave Nottingham Forest a fright in the Carabao Cup before losing 2-1 at the City Ground on Tuesday night.

“There’s more to come from us, that’s for sure,” said Sadler, one of the senior figures in the squad. “We’re a young group learning all of the time, learning about each other all of the time.

“There’s some real headaches for the manager in terms of selection, plenty of options, especially in attacking areas.”

Sadler, 32, knows Town can expect a different type of game against the Dons at the Cherry Red Records Stadium compared to what they encountered against Forest.

He said: “It’s the hustle and bustle of League One we’ve got to be ready for.

“On Saturday it will be a proper, proper battle, a proper tussle, and we need to make sure that we match teams on that side of things and then beat them in the football side of things.

“As a football club, as a football team, as a group, that’s what we need to do and Saturday against Wimbledon will be a real test of that.”

He added: “We’re looking forward to it, another challenge, another good game, a game that we really want to go down there and give a real account of ourselves.”

While Town were running Forest close in midweek, Wimbledon also bowed out of the Carabao Cup, beaten 3-1 at home by fellow London side Brentford after extra-time.

That followed a 1-1 draw in their League One opener at Scunthorpe last weekend.

Sadler was encouraged with the efforts of teenage Wolves loanee Niall Ennis and former Kidderminster man Arthur Gnahoua after they both came into the starting XI against Forest.

“It was good to see Niall out there,” he said. “He’s a young lad and he’s got plenty of good attributes. He was up against some experienced defenders. It will do him the world of good going forward, especially being up there on his own.”

As for Gnahoua, Sadler said: “Arthur again showed some good glimpses and I think for Arthur it’s about exposing him more and more to what we call real League One football.

“He’s come from Kidderminster where I think he was the main man, the star man there, just give him the ball and let him run.

“He probably won’t be afforded that time as much in League One now, so he’s got to find different ways of getting on the ball and find different ways of being a threat. He gets people on the edge of their seats and he’s got attacking flair.”

Sadler added he was delighted to see Town enjoy the backing of more than 800 travelling fans on a rainy night at Forest.

“We love having them behind us,” he said. “Hopefully with what the gaffer’s doing, with what we’re doing, hopefully they’ll continue to keep coming in their numbers.”