FA Cup run would be fantastic, says Shrewsbury Town boss Paul Hurst

Hurst, whose first win as Town manager came at this stage of the competition last season when Barnet were beaten 3-0, has vowed to pick a strong team for the clash against a side ninth in the National League, writes Stuart Dunn.

Shrewsbury will be seeking a positive reaction after their excellent 15-match unbeaten start to the League One season was finally ended with a narrow 1-0 defeat at Peterborough United last weekend.

“It will be a strong side,” said Hurst. “There’s no doubt in my mind, or even thoughts, of playing a weakened side – it will be a strong side.

“Whether that’s the same side that played at Peterborough or not, we’ll see, but it’s a team that I would certainly put out in a league game. I want to win, I want to progress.

“A Cup run would be fantastic for the club. It’s had a couple of those not too long ago and I’d like another one.

“Yes, the league’s the most important, but if we can have a good Cup run as well then that would be great for everybody, and financially it brings rewards for the club as well, so that’s what we’ll be looking to do.”

Hurst knows Aldershot, the club Town memorably beat on penalties in the 2004 Conference play-off final, will provide Shrewsbury with a tough test.

He said: “We go into the game, I’m sure, strong favourites. But it will be a tough game because Aldershot, in my opinion, put on one of the best performances I’ve seen in terms of Conference teams this season certainly and like to play.

“I think we could have had easier draws, even if that had been some league teams, so we need to be at it.

“But it’s a chance to progress for us, there’s no getting away from that, and we’re back at home, so that’s the next opportunity to try and get that feeling back in the dressing room instead of the one that we unfortunately had to feel after Peterborough.”

Many of the Town squad have experience of playing in the non-League game, including Alex Rodman, Omar Beckles and Stefan Payne, who all list Aldershot among their former clubs.

Hurst stressed the importance of Town approaching the tie with the right mentality.

He said: “It is a challenge in terms of we’ll be favourites. I’ve got a lot of respect for Aldershot and the way they play.

"That message will be passed on to the players, but there’s always a little bit of a test in terms of mentally.

“Are they going to go into the game, the players, just thinking ‘it’s a Conference team, we’ll be okay, we won’t have to be at our best’, or do they use the fact of losing a game as even more motivation to get back to winning ways and to progress in the Cup.

“Obviously, from my point of view, I’m looking at the latter, that’s what I’m hoping for, and hopefully the fact that we’ve got quite a few lads in the group, as it’s been well documented, that have plied their trade in the Conference in the not too distant past that they will appreciate that there’s still some good players there and Aldershot have a fair share of those players themselves, which will hopefully keep them on their toes.”