Shropshire Star

What will the summer bring for the Shrewsbury heroes? Five talking points

It was another horrible afternoon for Shrewsbury Town and their supporters at the national stadium.

Published

A second Wembley defeat to Rotherham meant the curse lives on and Town’s fairytale season was left without its magical ending. Here, Salop reporter Lewis Cox discusses five things Town fans have to consider over the coming days and weeks.

1 Nothing left to give

Omar Beckles tussles for the ball (AMA)

This squad can not be accused of giving anything but their absolute best for the club, fans and badge.

Sixty-two games in one season is a gigantic effort. It is a staggering ask and most squads, particularly where only 14 or 15 were involved for the majority, would simply not have coped.

It was too much for Shrewsbury in the end.

They should not have been weary going into the game. Emotionally, a Wembley final – with so much at stake – is a big weight to carry. But Town should have been relatively fresh going into it, given that key players were effectively given the end of the season off.

But it is perhaps difficult to gauge how much of a strain galloping up and down the Wembley turf is. Having used all subs by 70 minutes, it was down to those 11 souls to carry on. They had little left to give and were cramping up.

As Paul Hurst said, that made it difficult to get at a well-drilled Rotherham, who had an extra spring in their step as they sensed blood.

Town were not able to exert their game on the Millers. In the first half they were not good enough, and the second half it caught up with them. It was too late.

2 Set-piece woe

Rotherham – and their skipper Richard Wood – were dominant from set-pieces

Richard Wood’s brace was as basic as they come. And that leaves a hugely bitter taste.

Omar Beckles will not want to watch the Millers’ first goal back. Town’s left-back was given a torrid time by the Rotherham skipper, who was an unstoppable force from set-pieces.

But Beckles was guilty of bringing down the captain inside 10 minutes to concede a penalty. Town survived that time but Wood did the damage shortly after.

Blame does not solely lie with Beckles, It is up to his team-mates to help. Players are given their own roles but there is no harm in doubling up or looking for solutions to an obvious weakness.

Sub Lenell John-Lewis was at fault for the winner as Wood escaped the striker at the far post. Was Beckles taken off marking Wood? It seems a tough ask for a forward to deal with Rotherham’s most dominant player.

Earlier on in the season Shrewsbury were water-tight while dealing with set-plays. Mistakes crept in as the season went on and ultimately they proved Town’s Achilles heel on the grand stage.

3 Salute super Salop support

Shrewsbury Town supporters were in sensational form at Wembley

It may have been the lowest attendance in a third tier play-off final since 1987, with 14,000 Millers fans and 12,000 in the Shrewsbury end, but the atmosphere was electric. The Millers supporters were left cheering and dancing after full-time but Shrewsbury fans gave absolutely everything ahead of kick-off and for 120 minutes.

It was particularly impressive as, for the most, they were given precious little to be excited about.

The supporters were determined to give this group of blue and amber heroes a fitting tribute throughout. They were ready to do their bit to get Town over the line.

They crowd-funded for balloons and confetti, which gave the sea of blue and amber more of a potent image, and they generally made sensational noise.

They deserved better on the day.

It is often said that quality is more important than quantity and that was the case. Twelve thousand sounded like much more.

Town fans have really cranked things up at the business end of this season and need to be praised for the backing they have given the squad.

The magical season captured the imagination of the town as a whole – it is just a desperate shame it could not finish in the right way.

4 What next for the gaffer?

Devastated Town boss Paul Hurst (AMA)

Paul Hurst is destined for things that are greater than Shrewsbury Town. Of that there is no doubt.

The question is whether he has a future in Shropshire? Even the most optimistic Salop fans are resigned to him stepping up a level this summer.

Talks between Town, Ipswich and Hurst are expected to gather pace this week. Hurst, who jets off for a family holiday in Dubai today, will surely not be too far into his Middle East haven before the phone rings.

Hurst has to do what is right for him, what he sees best for himself, his family and his career. If that is at Portman Road, then he will go.

Perhaps Shrews had a better chance of fighting off potential suitors if they had been successful and were now a Championship club.

Hurst is well aware that another season with Shrewsbury could be very different. Mid-table next season would be a success for this club. It is important for fans to remember the club must walk before it can run.

It promises to be a fascinating summer. Whatever happens, Hurst must be remembered for making Town fans dream of the seemingly impossible.

5 Future stars

The outstanding Ben Godfrey shone at Wembley and is set for a big future (AMA)

The loan market can be a bit of a minefield, but Dean Henderson and Ben Godfrey are clear success stories.

The goalkeeper and midfielder, brought in from Manchester United and Norwich City respectively, have both played key roles in Town’s superb season – and were the star performers in this latest Wembley defeat.

Both displaying maturity beyond their years, the supremely-confident Henderson has all the tools to succeed at a high level. It is not unrealistic to predict he will play for England.

He will if he builds on his stellar showings for Salop.

The same goes for Godfrey. It will be interesting to see if Norwich instil the faith in him that they should do next term.

Having succeeded in League One, he should be given a good amount of games to prove himself in the Championship – and maybe go on to even greater things.

The commitment of loanees can sometimes come into question, but Henderson and Godfrey have been Shrewsbury through and through.

Fans will not forget their contributions quickly.

Let’s not forget Carlton Morris, who did pretty well at Wembley before going off injured, too.

While not reaching the heights of the other two loanees, he has certainly done a solid job in blue and amber.

A permanent move for him? They could do a lot worse.

Dean Henderson was gutted to not give Shrewsbury fans the send-off he wanted (AMA)