Shrewsbury Town want points, not prizes

hrewsbury Town manager Graham Turner is celebrating being named npower League Two manager of the month for February - but admits he would swap the award for three points at Northampton tomorrow.

Turner took home the award after steering Town to four wins and a draw from their five February games before beginning March with a 3-0 reverse at home to Bury on Tuesday night.

"I would probably swap most things for three points on Saturday," said Turner. "Being named manager of the month is a nice honour to have but the players must take a lot of the credit.

"We had a difficult little run before February but to come through with four wins and a draw with only one goal conceded is a magnificent effort.

"But it's important that we bounce back from Tuesday at Northampton and so it is a big game for us."

Skipper Ian Sharps is expected to be recalled to the Town side after missing Tuesday's defeat through suspension but Turner is unlikely to tinker too much with his team on the back of Town's first home defeat since January 8.

He added: "I won't be making wholesale changes. I thought for the first 30 minutes on Tuesday we were playing some fantastic football but we didn't take our chances and we have to bounce back.

"We've watched the DVD and we won't apportion blame - sometimes you've just got to admit that you were beaten.

"The players have done well throughout February and we've got to get back to that standard."

Turner is wary of the threat posed by the Cobblers, who sacked manager Ian Sampson earlier this week.

The Cobblers sit 16th and have gone seven games without a victory prompting Sampson's dismissal with former Sunderland boss Malcolm Crosby in charge of team affairs for tomorrow's clash.

Turner added: "It never helps when that happens, when there's a change of manager you always get a reaction from the players for a couple of games afterwards.

"Things like that we've just got to accept."

By ALEX JAMES