Shropshire Star

Shrewsbury v Peterborough preview: All Shrewsbury Town needed was Love

‘All we need is Love...’

Published

Donald is clearly, well, loving his time in Shrewsbury.

The full-back is the most unassuming member of the Town squad. Quiet, shy, modest and humble. He does not crave the limelight.

So becoming an early fans’ favourite, on his way to cult status, is a strange old feeling for the former Manchester United youngster.

While speaking about tonight’s visit of free-scoring Peterborough where Love, on the right side of defence, will face the daunting task of dealing with Marcus Maddison and Co, a sheepish, almost embarrassed smile emerged on his face when asked about the fanfare.

Love, 24, was then questioned about the 60s Beatles classic that a pocket of travelling Shrewsbury fans reserved for him on Saturday at Wycombe. It felt like he didn’t quite have the words to explain it.

“I don’t know about that,” was Love’s response.

“I heard the song but it’s hard (to hear) when you’re concentrating on the game.

“I’m quite modest so I can’t really say anything.

“I heard it in the warm-up but when it’s in the game you are concentrating too much.

“I’m too concerned about the game to think about what is going on! It’s nice to feel wanted and be playing every game, the fans have been good and hopefully they can keep coming in numbers.

“It’s probably just the way that I tackle. Hard tackles trying to give everything when I’m out there.

“Everyone does, the whole team do. Everyone was gutted after (Wycombe). We really thought we could’ve won that.

“We probably felt how Sunderland did against us where they couldn’t take their chances.”

It’s Love’s grit and determination that has also captured fans’ hearts. But he insists that spirit is spread throughout the team and drilled into all players by boss Sam Ricketts.

“I don’t think you can question any one giving 100 per cent commitment,” Love added.

“Everyone gives everything. The manager is on us for the running stats and everyone’s breaking records at the minute.

“We know we’re a fit team, if we break records we know we can win games and out-run teams. That’s what we build ourselves on.

“Hopefully we can keep getting fitter and run teams off the park.”

Love, who joined on a free transfer from Sunderland in the summer, enjoyed one of his best days yet in blue and amber a fortnight ago as the Black Cats were seen off at Montgomery Waters Meadow.

The defender was tasked to deal with the prodigious talents of former team-mate Aiden McGeady, among others, that day.

He stood up the task as Town got an important win, both collectively and personally for Love. It is because the defender comes across as the underdog – following the harsh scoffing from Sunderland fans when he left for Shropshire – that Town fans have taken to him.

“Everyone likes to prove people wrong,” Love added. “It was a good one for me and the lads. We proved we can beat the big teams when they come here and away as well.

“It was tough (against Sunderland), you know what McGeady’s like, probably too good for this league.

“But I think to a man we were better than them on the day.

“It looked like a game where we got battered but our gameplan was to frustrate them but they didn’t have anything clear-cut fall to Will Grigg.”

On tonight’s Posh test, as the highest scorers in England head to the Meadow, Love said: “Ro-Shaun (Williams) will be a miss but Ethan (Ebanks-Landell) will just slot back in. Hopefully we can stop them and do something at the other end to kill them off.”

And if that happens, then the fans really will have something to sing about...

Predicted line-up:

Shrewsbury (3-4-3):

O'Leary; Ebanks-Landell, Pierre, Beckles; Love, Norburn (c), Goss, Golbourne; Whalley, Edwards, Cummings.

Subs: Murphy (gk), Walker, Barnett, Thompson, Laurent, Giles, Okenabirhie.