Shropshire Star

Mat Sadler reveals match that gave Shrewsbury Town belief

Instead of waxing lyrical about an overdue first win, Mat Sadler pinpointed the game where belief soared through this new-look Shrewsbury Town squad.

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It was seven days prior, when John Askey’s men were three minutes from a stunning win at unbeaten Portsmouth.

As team-mate Greg Docherty explained at the time, there were some home truths launched in the away dressing room at Fratton Park a fortnight ago.

But once the dust settled, belief was the overriding emotion taken from that point on the south coast – an afternoon that could prove the catalyst for better things this term.

“I wouldn’t say I was worried. I was frustrated we weren’t picking up wins when we deserved to,” Sadler said after Askey’s Town finally got over the winning line against Southend on Saturday.

“We were giving away leads, especially the Luton game and against Pompey.

“What I would say with that Pompey performance is that there was a hell of a lot of belief generated from that.

“It was a fantastic performance in that first half against a team that (last weekend) beat (also unbeaten) Peterborough at their place. They’re a team that will pick up a lot of results this season.

“I thought we played them off the park in spells. You know that you’re going to come up against it, especially going towards their fans.”

Skipper Sadler, 33, stressed that Town have seen nothing to be fearful of in League One this season.

Askey’s men have lost three from the first eight league games, drawing four and winning one.

They have scored fewer than one a game (seven), but conceded just one more. Town have the joint-fourth best defensive record in the division. Sadler continued: “We took a hell of a lot of confidence from that and, as we’ve ticked off games, there’s nothing to be fearful of in this division.

“That said, you have to perform. Playing from the shape we play gives you a chance to be in games and we took our chances against Southend where we haven’t before.

“It is that element of relief that we got the win but we knew it would come.

“There’s belief in that dressing room that we’re better than the league suggests – but you need the first win.”

Shrewsbury are aiming to build on their first victory of the season in the next run of league games which takes them to Scunthorpe, who sit two places higher in 15th, on Saturday.

Town then host 20th-placed Gillingham before a tasty Tuesday night derby at Walsall (October 2) and the visit of Accrington Stanley.

Sadler, Shrews’ longest-serving player, wants to see Town take advantage of the division still being in its infancy and put together a run of positive results.

He added: “I believe and hope this (win) will do us no end of good to finally get over the line and win a game.

“The league table looks a lot nicer now. You put back-to-back wins and runs together in this league and you really do shoot up it. It’s so so tight.

“I’ll reiterate again, there’s a belief in there that we’ve seen a lot of teams so far and there’s nothing to be fearful of.

“We go to Scunthorpe looking to win the game. We’ve had a couple of good results there in recent years, especially the snow game, that was interesting.

“We go there to win and push up the division.”