Bernard McNally column: Prospect of a blood and thunder derby

There’s an added edge with Town going into the clash without a league defeat and clear at the top.

I remember going to the old Fellows Park with Shrewsbury and there was that rivalry. Sometimes, I used to go there and I wouldn’t look forward to it – we knew it would be really tough.

I’m sure that’s not the case with our players. Now we’ll go there believing that we can beat these, from the other side Shrewsbury won’t want this run to end at Walsall.

It’s really going to be a blood and thunder encounter. It’ll be one of those old-school kind of derbies that goes on. First and foremost it’s roll your sleeves up, stick your foot in, stick together and when the game opens up the quality will come through.

It’s not so much one of the traditional Town derbies but I remember going to Birmingham, that springs to my mind.

It was one heck of a derby. I think Nigel Pearson gave away a goal and Tony Kelly scored an absolute screamer. We won at the Blues.

It doesn’t matter where you’re going, be it Chester, Wrexham, Crewe, Walsall, Birmingham or Vale for Town, those are big, big games.

Two more wins over the last few days, in the league against Scunthorpe, and over West Brom’s youngsters in the Checkatrade Trophy, have helped keep the winning habit going.

The Town just keep going on, keep beating people, it’s a game habit to have because you can have barren seasons.

It was a great sign to see both strikers Stefan Payne and Carlton Morris on target against Scunthorpe last weekend.

We saw Stefan on the left at Doncaster and go right against Scunthorpe. Who knows, that could be a ‘Plan B, C or D’ down the line – Paul seems to have quite a few options available to him!

It’s exciting, there’s a number of options that can be very potent.

You want both strikers scoring, I remember 92/93 with Albion, we had Bob Taylor and Andy Hunt, both were terrific. If we were in trouble you’d hook it over the top, one was out wide, the other would stick it in the net.

Bryn Morris completed 90 minutes on his return from knee surgery on Tuesday and that’s fantastic news for Shrews fans.

I’m sure he’s been sitting on the sidelines for the last two months itching to get involved, particularly with the team doing absolutely brilliant, you want to be a part of that.

And our young defender Christos Shelis signed his first two-year pro contract. The management are obviously very keen on him.

It’s exciting when managers give young players an opportunity, while they have to also be good enough.