Paul Hurst urges his Shrewsbury Town players: Take a leaf out of Abu Ogogo’s book

Town kick off three remaining League One fixtures with little riding on them by welcoming Peterborough to Montgomery Waters Meadow.

Hurst’s men are not mathematically out of a top-two hunt but have conceded the final automatic promotion spot to Blackburn – who can secure their fate by matching or bettering Town’s result in their clash at Doncaster this evening.

But while Hurst was happy to rest key players in the weekend’s draw with Bury – and hinted at doing the same tonight – he wants to see the correct attitude from players that are selected.

The boss referenced captain Ogogo, who has missed the last seven games – of which Town have won just two – through suspension and a season-ending knee injury, and wants his other players to match the absent midfielder.

“Along the way you want good pros that play the same no matter what,” Hurst said.

“I’m pretty sure in an interview a long time ago, when Abs was still fit, that was my praise for Abs.

“Not about him being a brilliant player. Not about him taking five on and scoring. But about having the same attitude no matter what game it is and no matter where it’s played.

“He doesn’t need it to be at West Ham to get himself up for the game. We play at decent grounds now anyway, but with less crowds.

“It doesn’t bother him, he’s got the same mentality to every game and that’s a massive strength to have.”

Hurst insisted the importance of his players being in the correct frame of mind. The boss is expecting the right attitude for the remaining three clashes.

Steve Evans’ Peterborough are ninth and currently sit six points from the top six. The visitors need three wins to have any chance at sneaking a play-off spot.

Posh, who have won just one game in seven and lost the last three, are sweating on the fitness of Marcus Maddison, who scored the winner against Shrewsbury in October.

Hurst added: “Nearly all we keep going on about – people might not see it that way – but it’s in between the ears and your approach, attitude and mental side of the game that allows you take a better pass or take care of a pass.

“That’s what we’ve got to try and get from the players. They’ve done fantastically well to finish third in this division.

“You only have to look at Bury and the money they’ve spent hoping or perhaps expecting to be fighting for play-offs minimum but have been relegated from the league.

“It is a good achievement but we all want that ending and I want us to get back to how we played earlier in the season.”

Hurst admitted he often found himself having to dig deep for mental fortitude during a 15-year professional playing career.

The former left-back, who stands at just 5ft 4in said his height was regularly a hurdle he was forced to overcome.

When asked if he or the Town staff can help the players inherit the correct mentality, he replied: “I can try and help but a lot of it is having something in you.

“I know what I had as someone who was...vertically challenged, and I had to find a way to have that determination to make up for that and being doubted.

“Some of the lads in there have everything about them.

“Perhaps the one thing they need to make that next step, because we all agree that we have some good players, but to really make the next step it is mentally rather than ability or anything else.”