Shrewsbury Town players desperate to get one over on rivals, says Sam Ricketts
Sam Ricketts claims his Shrewsbury players are desperate to give fans a season finale to cherish by relegating rivals Walsall.
A fascinating final League One day awaits Town tomorrow evening as the relegation-threatened Saddlers come to a packed-out Montgomery Waters Meadow.
Walsall must win and hope two of three results elsewhere go in their favour to stay up.. Salop secured their survival with last weekend’s draw at Coventry.
Town fans are eager to see their rivals banished to League Two and Ricketts confirmed his players understand the rivalry and are determined to get the job done.
Ricketts said: “Listen, it’s a local derby. It’s a funny one, you don’t normally get to the last game of the season for a local derby. It’s normal put in mid-season somewhere.
“They have an awful lot riding on the game – it makes it more than a normal dead-rubber end-of-season game.
“That’s why the players are so keen and itching for the game to come around.
“The supporters would love for it to happen (Walsall to go down). We have to go out there and win the game and then anything else will take care of itself.
“There have been a few players with niggles, struggling, and they all want to be play.”
Stand-in skipper Ollie Norburn is one of several players to have declared themselves fit to feature because of what is at stake in tomorrow’s 5.30pm kick-off.
“Any derby’s a big game but this has extra factors riding on it. Walsall coming to our ground, needing a win to give them a chance,” Ricketts added.
“The players are certainly aware of what it means. They know what it means for the supporters at any club. You want to win your local derbies, have bragging rights.
“It’s a great game to finish, isn’t it?
. We’re certainly up for it, they certainly will be, the supporters are up for it.
“It has all the makings of being a great game.”
