Clean sheets leave Shrewsbury's Craig MacGillivray on top of world

He is recalling ‘the best feeling in the world’. Denying a raucous crowd of 18,000 opposition fans the chance to celebrate.

And Shrewsbury’s stand-in shot-stopper is looking for a similar rush of emotion as he keeps goal at Bristol Rovers tomorrow, writes Lewis Cox.

MacGillivray will deputise for the suspended Dean Henderson in his first back-to-back League One games of the season. He should make it three with the visit of Plymouth next Saturday.

The former Walsall man, made to kick his heels on the bench this season, showed Town just what he was capable of with a central role in memorably keeping out Portsmouth last week.

It was even sweeter for the 25-year-old, as he bounced back in style from missing out in the glamour FA Cup clashes with West Ham.

“They say you don’t want your goalkeeper having to make too many saves, but I enjoy making them,” he said before a smile emerged.

“The best feeling in the world is when, for example, you have a Portsmouth with 17,500 people and they all think it’s going in the bottom or top corner. And then you tip it round the post. There’s no better feeling.

“That’s like when somebody scores a goal for me.”

After being left out of the West Ham ties and made to play second fiddle this term, MacGillivray is asked if he is still proving himself to Shrewsbury.

He responds: “Every time you step on the pitch you’re proving a point. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve played every game, twice or whatever. You prove a point to staff, team-mates, yourself and fans.”

The former Harrogate Town man has completed phase one of his mission. One clean sheet. He is after another at the Memorial Stadium against improving Rovers tomorrow and then a third as, this time, it is Henderson’s turn to watch from the sideline.

He added: “Ultimately my aim was to come in and keep three clean sheets. That starts with me but as a team we keep clean sheets and we win and lose as a team.

“We want to win all three games. I do as well. To get three would be brilliant but we have to take them one step at a time.”

MacGillivray admitted it was a frustrating experience to lose his position as Paul Hurst’s FA Cup goalkeeper as Shrewsbury and West Ham did battle in front of the cameras.

‘You have to fight through some bad days to earn the best days of your life’, read a frustrated social media post after he watched his side draw 0-0 with David Moyes’ men at the Meadow last month.

A few weeks on, with Henderson banned for an unsavoury incident at Blackburn, MacGillivray was selected in the EFL team of the week for keeping Portsmouth at bay.

“We sat down, discussed it, both had our views on it and came to the same agreement,” he said “I wanted to play, which he (Hurst) knew, but Deano’s been playing in the league so you go with the strongest team at the time.

“It’s very frustrating to me because I felt more than capable but I respect the decision.”

He added on Henderson’s ban: “You don’t feel selfish, you don’t want someone to get banned, but at the same time you have to flip it into ‘it’s three opportunities for me to play’. He was frustrated for me not playing against West Ham. We are very close, we both understand each other’s feelings, which is good.”