Shropshire Star

Analysis: Brave Shrewsbury Town keep marching forward

If ever a 90-minute (or indeed 98-minute in this case) display embodied a Paul Hurst team, then it was this one.

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In this remarkable season for Shrewsbury Town, this was the best yet. The 2-1 win at Rotherham was that good.

Stefan Payne’s 94th-minute winner had Hurst celebrating at AESSEAL New York Stadium with the passion he showed in each of his 494 Millers appearances.

This was always going to be a big day for the boss. Returning to a club where he earned legendary status for the first time as manager must have been an odd feeling – but the Yorkshireman was focused 100 per cent on his job in hand.

And what a job his 10-man team carried out.

Minus influential leader Abu Ogogo for 40 minutes-plus after a harsh dismissal, Town scrapped as the willpower was somehow cranked up another level.

Jon Nolan’s opener 15 minutes in, that had handed the visitors a deserved lead against the play-off occupants at the start of the day, felt like a lifetime ago by the time Richie Towell equalised with 14 minutes to go. Cue the Rotherham onslaught, surely.

How many times do we see teams with a numerical advantage finally break through against brave, beleaguered opposition before then going on to get another and another?

It was not forthcoming. Hurst’s side showed the audacity to keep going themselves. A man down, they did not change the system, stick more men behind the ball in defence; they kept playing.

The sheer will to continue getting forward was absolutely phenomenal.

Deserved then, when one more burst up the New York Stadium resulted in a cheap Town corner three minutes into added time.

It took Town and Shaun Whalley another 30 seconds to decide what to do with it. With angry Millers supporters – certain their team should be beating 10-man Shrewsbury – screaming at the visitors to get on with it and stop wasting time, Whalley trotted over.

Hurst had given the nod to big defender Toto Nsiala to get himself into the box. “Why not?” Hurst rhetorically asked in his post-match musings.

Well, most teams would not send that ball into the box. Most managers would not give the permission to go for the jugular.

Town would have left themselves open at this tired stage if the corner was less than accurate.

It was brave beyond belief. The entire game was in the balance.

Whalley’s delivery was spot-on. It hit one blue and amber body, bounced around a little and there was Johnny-on-the-spot Payne to smash in a ninth of the season. Bedlam. Not the first late winner of this special season and it will not be the last.

It joins Northampton, Coventry, Doncaster and Fleetwood. Town’s fitness, belief, spirit and will to win is shining through when they need it most.

This victory felt bigger, somehow, than those before it. Hurst, long since forgetting any red and white allegiance amid full-time celebrations, was like a ring leader with the away end. He had them on a string.

This win sent out a statement – this side are the real deal.

Coming to a promotion contender, who boast a fine home record, and finding an added time winner with a man disadvantage after being pegged back is a staggering effort.

This side are digging deep and going until the end. Hurst waves his team forward with such belief. It really is never say die. The reward is a four-point lead at the top.

The spotlight was on the Hurst homecoming – and this really was his and Shrewsbury’s day.