Town skipper Abu Ogogo hails blue and amber faithful as 12th man

Town extended their unbeaten start to the league season to nine games with a thrilling 1-1 draw with Blackburn Rovers.

A boosted attendance of 8,202 – with around 1,200 more home fans than in the previous Montgomery Waters Meadow clash with Wigan – roared the hosts on and Paul Hurst's side were six minutes away from sealing a 1-0 victory.

Ex-Dagenham and Arsenal midfield man Ogogo, in his third season with Town, was handed the match day armband this summer by Hurst and has forged an impressive trio alongside Jon Nolan and yesterday's man of the match Ben Godfrey.

"The supporters are like a 12th man," said Ogogo.

"When you’re tired and you hear the roar from the crowd they push you on that extra one per cent or two per cent, and the boys definitely appreciate that support.”

"We’re disappointed to be fair. Stef (Payne) had a good chance to make it 2-0, which we’d normally back him to score.

"Their goal was scruffy, so the boys are disappointed with that, but everyone played well today and Blackburn are a big club, so to be disappointed to just get a point shows how far we’ve come."

Ogogo has spent his two seasons with Shrewsbury to date battling the third tier drop. He added: "It’s nice to look at the table and see you’re top, obviously since I’ve been at Shrewsbury we’ve never been in this position.

"But it’s only been nine games and we’ve got a long way to go yet."

Town are blessed with superb central midfield options. Nolan and Godfrey have proved massive hits with the blue and amber faithful. Hurst has mostly utilised a 4-1-4-1 system this season, with Norwich loan man Godfrey sitting deeper, allowing Nolan and Ogogo to attack.

Bryn Morris, who was in Hurst's first XI on the opening day of the League One season before being forced on to the sidelines after undergoing knee surgery, has returned to training and was touch-and-go for a place on Town's bench against Rovers.

"They’re good players," the skipper said of his midfield partners. "Ben likes to sit, and me and Nolo are more box-to-box, so with Ben sitting we have that license to get forward and help the strikers.

"But there’s rotation there too, sometimes me or Nolo can sit, and allow Ben to get forward. And it’s good to have Bryn (Morris) back too, there’s more competition for everyone, and we know whoever the gaffer plays will do a good job."