Sam Ricketts salutes energetic Shrewsbury Town
Sam Ricketts is looking for Shrewsbury to continue running over opposition after 'smashing' their physical targets last time out.
The Town boss sets a threshold for his players to hit during games and believes the relentless energy levels against Sunderland got his side over the line.
Ricketts has been impressed with how his team are growing physically after sections of the squad struggled with fitness in the early part of the season.
The Montgomery Waters Meadow chief believes at least matching the output of opposition is key to securing results in League One.
"It all comes together when you smash your physical targets and we did that," boss Ricketts said.
"That was really pleasing. You get the real team spirit and togetherness come out in abundance in those situations.
"You can look at your team-mate next to you and know that you've given your all and so has your team-mate.
"That's all you can ask for. You add a little bit of quality and a little bit of luck and you get the three points that make it all worthwhile."
Ricketts explained that physical expectations are tempered to different opposition and the style each team brings.
"It can depend on the type of game," the boss added when asked if such demand can be repeated regularly.
"If we're trying to pin a team in and break them down then physically we won't be as much as when we're without the ball or an end-to-end game.
"But the big thing is that if we don't smash our targets we have to have it in our locker to match teams or go the extra yards when we need to."
Town's 1-0 win over the Black Cats came courtesy of Jason Cummings' winner after a fine Josh Laurent drive from midfield.
It was one of a number of surging runs from Laurent that caught the eye of Town fans.
"He can drive with the ball, he's an athlete, a superb athlete," Ricketts added on his midfielder.
"You won't get a better athlete at any level of football with the way he can run and carry the ball. He glides off the top of the ground.
"We're try to put him in situations where he can do that to really hurt teams.
"He nearly ran two-thirds of the pitch around them today which shows what he is capable of."
